Tips & Tricks*

If you have suggestions that have helped make it easier for you, your child and/or your family to navigate more easily through the world of special needs, please email them to us info@fgsyndrome.org.

IEP

• EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SERVICES (ESY): If you feel that your child might benefit from summer programs, you must raise the question of ESY at the IEP meeting. The school is not required to mention that these services are available. However, if a parent raises the question, the child must be evaluated for ESY eligibility.
• INDEPENDENT EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION (IEE): If you disagree with the results of an evaluation that the school district has done for your child, you have a right to request an IEE at district expense. The school district must supply you with a list of qualified evaluators who are not affiliated with the district. You make the appointment. Once you request an IEE, the school district cannot deny the request unless they choose to take you to a due process hearing. Once the evaluation is completed, it must be considered when the IEP team makes determinations about eligibility and services.
• IEP/IFSP Planning Cheat Sheet
  1. Services are based on the needs of the child and his/her educational goals.
  2. The budget (or lack thereof) and/or staffing issues are not relevant to determining an IFSP/IEP
  3. There is no benefit to refusing to sign an IEP/IFSP document (for a child over age 3). If a parent disagrees with the IEP/IFSP, they should not their disagreement next to their signature. Do not sign the form until all discussions have finished. This means that if additional meetings must be scheduled to complete the IEP/IFSP, no one should sign.
  4. Services cannot be decreased at any age unless evaluation data show that a child’s needs have changed.
  5. Related services (O.T., P.T., and Speech, for example) are available as direct services to any child that needs them to meet the goals on the IEP/IFSP.
  6. Every child is eligible to be considered for Extended Year Services. Parents should bring this up at every meeting.
  7. Services/educational programs cannot be limited to a child based upon the building or program in which he/she is served. The IFSP/IEP must be written in response to the child, not in response to the structure of the program.
  8. Parents can bring as many people as they wish as support people to the meeting.
  9. No particular eligibility category expcludes a child from a particular type of instruction, service or program.
  10. No particular eligibility category guarantees a child will receive a particular type of instruction, service or program.
  11. If a child needs something that has never been done before in his program or district (for example, music therapy), the district or program must find a way to provide that if it is necessary to meet the educational goals. It MUST be written into the IEP/IFSP.
  12. All services and goals that the team has agreed upon must be written clearly into the IEP/IFSP. If it is a direct service, clearly write that it is to be provided by an appropriate service provider (like a physical therapist). Make sure location, frequency, and duration are clearly stated on the IEP/IFSP.
  13. The most important part of the IEP/IFSP is the goals.
• A WORD ABOUT “FAPE” (Free and Appropriate Education): No EI/ECSE program ( Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education) or school district is required to provide “Cadillac services” to its students. It is not required to provide what is BEST – only what is APPROPRIATE for the child to meet the goals on the IEP/IFSP. However, if a child needs a service or program in order to meet the goals on the IEP or IFSP it must be provided, regardless of budget, staffing or tradition.
• MEDICAL RELEASES AND CONFIDENTIALITY: Should there be limits to how much medical information a family shares with the school? How can a family decide when to release information and when to keep records confidential? Instead of parents declining to or signing a blanket release for all medical information for the schools, one solution is to sign the release(s) to themselves. Then when information comes to them, they can review it and pull out and photocopy what is pertinent to the appropriate educational team members. This way, parents can ensure that the information shared is relevant to the school program, is accurate, and is shared in a way that protects the privacy and dignity of the child and family.
• RECORDING: Don’t be afraid to ask to record an IEP session, especially if you are expecting differences of opinion. It may seem uncomfortable, but chances are the team is accustomed to the request (check with requirements, you may have to give notice ahead of time that you plan to record). Having to take notes can be distracting; recording the IEP not only gives you a record should something come up in the future, but also provides an opportunity to do research if you believe you’ve been given incorrect information.

• ...AND ONE MORE THING: Expecting a difficult IEP? Even if you aren’t, consider bringing a home-baked cake, cookies, pizza or other appropriate food item to share during the meeting. It’s a great way to send the message that you know you are all on the same team and appreciate everyone’s efforts (or as my parents taught me, “you get more with honey!”)