The school year is nearing a close and you’re concerned that your child hasn’t learned, or that your child is having difficulty meeting the demands of school or their independence hasn’t increased. What can you do now? You need to know your rights!
Ask for an evaluation
If you haven’t met with your school and no one has told you that your child qualifies to receive an IEP, write a letter to your school psychologist and principal describing your concerns and ask the school to perform a psycho-educational evaluation BEFORE the next school year.
If your child has an Individualized Education Program (“IEP”), but you think there are issues or deficits that haven’t been addressed this year, it’s possible that more detailed evaluation is needed. Write a letter to your school psychologist and principal detailing your concerns. The evaluation can be done over the summer.
All requests must be written. Send your letter in a way that creates a record of when your request was received by the
District – by email or regular mail using “return receipt requested.” Keeping written records is absolutely crucial.
You might need to explore private schools or supplemental services outside of school; if your child has an IEP (or should have had an IEP) there are certain circumstances where you might qualify for tuition reimbursement from your school district or where you could use the legal process to make the District pay for the extra services you obtain outside of school.