Thank you for your kind words. I tried to identify the main concepts and provide a strategy to obtain services based on my experience as an advocate. Most descriptions of special ed rights and responsibilities lack the strategy part.
Paul, thanks for posting your guide to securing services for a child. It's great to have a clear, succinct set of recommendations. I hope that other advocates will review it and comment. For my part, I wonder about the sequence of actions you described. I'm under the impression that securing eligibility for services (under one of the categories you accurately listed) has to occur before one can get to the planning that goes into an IEP. To be sure, there's overlap—some of the data used to determine eligibility may be used in planning a program, for example—but decision about eligibility precedes the design of an individualized program.
I see what you are saying. I should have made that more clear, that eligibility comes first. The first evaluation will state whether the child is eligible or not. If eligible goals and objectives may be listed. If not eligible there would be no goals or objectives listed. Excellent point, thank you.
Yes, so step 1 is writing a letter to the district and request that your child be evaluated. The evaluation may reveal the child is not eligible for services. Perhaps I should have made that more clear. But if the child is determined by the school psychologist or the speech therapist that the child does not qualify the parents can ask for a second opinion from a school district expert or one that is independent of the district. If there is disagreement the parents can appeal. I had a case where the parent wanted their general education child to obtain speech therapy. The speech therapist said the child was not eligible. The parents obtained a second opinion and after that second report services were provided.
Thank you for your kind words. I tried to identify the main concepts and provide a strategy to obtain services based on my experience as an advocate. Most descriptions of special ed rights and responsibilities lack the strategy part.
Paul, thanks for posting your guide to securing services for a child. It's great to have a clear, succinct set of recommendations. I hope that other advocates will review it and comment. For my part, I wonder about the sequence of actions you described. I'm under the impression that securing eligibility for services (under one of the categories you accurately listed) has to occur before one can get to the planning that goes into an IEP. To be sure, there's overlap—some of the data used to determine eligibility may be used in planning a program, for example—but decision about eligibility precedes the design of an individualized program.
I revised the first few paragraphs to highlight your point. I hope it is more clear to the reader. Thanks again.
I see what you are saying. I should have made that more clear, that eligibility comes first. The first evaluation will state whether the child is eligible or not. If eligible goals and objectives may be listed. If not eligible there would be no goals or objectives listed. Excellent point, thank you.
Yes, so step 1 is writing a letter to the district and request that your child be evaluated. The evaluation may reveal the child is not eligible for services. Perhaps I should have made that more clear. But if the child is determined by the school psychologist or the speech therapist that the child does not qualify the parents can ask for a second opinion from a school district expert or one that is independent of the district. If there is disagreement the parents can appeal. I had a case where the parent wanted their general education child to obtain speech therapy. The speech therapist said the child was not eligible. The parents obtained a second opinion and after that second report services were provided.