Here are my quick and dirty ten things that should help you decide it is time to take action against your school district.
- Have you been told “secretly” by some well-meaning staff that your child might need help but no one has officially reached out to you to start this process?
- Has the school district suspended or expelled your child?
- Has the school district decided that your child’s behavior was not a manifestation of his disability, even when you know it was clearly a manifestation your child’s disability?
- Has there been a failure of proper personnel to be present during the IEP meetings?
- Is it taking too long to determine if your child is eligible for special education?
- Do you want an independent assessment of your child because you disagree with the district’s Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE)?
- Has the school district refused to train staff and aides in the child’s areas of disability?
- Has the school district failed to offer extended school year services to the child, resulting in regression of skills during the summer vacation that cannot be recouped quickly?
- Has the school district failed to allow your special needs child to participate in extracurricular activities to the same extent as his non-disabled peers when your child could participate with accommodations provided by the school?
- Has the school district refused to allow parent to fully participate at IEP meetings?