Is your child attending a public school in Florida and requires some assistance? Depending on your child’s needs, obtaining the initial Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 plan may be a simple process or a little more challenging.
1. Gather your documents.
The school may want to see medical records with your child’s diagnosis. You should also gather samples of your child’s work—which may include tests and graded homework—and notes with your observations.
A child does have to have a particular diagnosis to be eligible for services. In addition, more than one disability and/or diagnosis can be documented in the child’s plan. Both my children initially qualified with general developmental delay and as we obtained diagnosis we updated their plans accordingly.
2. Request an evaluation.
Make a written request for formal evaluation from your child’s public school. (The Individual with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, applies to educational institutions that received funding from federal sources. This includes most public schools.)
If the school district agrees to an evaluation and your child is found to have one or more of the 13 disabilities listed in IDEA and needs special education services or accommodations, (s)he will qualify for an IEP.
Within thirty calendar days after a child is determined eligible, a team of school professionals and the parents must meet to write an IEP for the child. Before the school system may provide special education and related services to the child for the first time, the parents must give consent. I highly recommend you track the timeline and follow-up with the school to check the status and provide friendly reminders.
If the school district denies your request, they must send you a “prior written notice” containing action proposed or refused by the district, explanation of the decision, description of other options and resources for you to better understand your rights under IDEA.
At any point, but especially at this juncture, you may have your child evaluated privately. Most likely, you will have to pay for this private evaluation. The school district may also choose to continue interventions in the classroom and gather data without any formal plan.
3. Parental input improves your child’s plan.
As the parent or guardian, you are one of the most important members of your child’s team. Building a strong parent/school relationship begins with effective communication. Document all communication via email, and, most importantly, follow-up on action plans to ensure team is implementing the accommodations listed in your child’s IEP or Section 504 plan. Administrative staff and teachers are working hard to serve all our children and sometimes a kind reminder email helps move your child to the top of the list.
4. Modify the plan as needed.
You can request a meeting at any time. IEPs must be reviewed annually and the same is recommended for 504 plans. If for some reason your child is falling behind in Math or Language Arts and troubleshooting with the teacher(s) hasn’t helped, you will definitely want to meet with the team to come up with better accommodations. If there are any behavioral concerns, your child may need a Behavior Plan or other interventions. Link here
5. Placement matters.
If your locally zoned school has not been the best fit for your child, do not be afraid to look at other schools or other avenues of funding (i.e. McKay or Gardiner Scholarships) to ensure the best educational environment for your child. In the past, I had an educator tell me to home-school my child. That was not the best option for him or my family.
6. Provide private evaluations or medical records.
Sometimes the school’s professionals are not able to accurately assess what your child needs. Records from your child’s private provider, i.e. Applied Behavioral Analyst, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, can help the team implement accommodations tailored to your child’s specific needs. Generally, the county should complete a Psycho-Educational evaluation every three years, but do not hesitate to complete your own psychological evaluations with a private provider to help support your concerns.
7. Get a draft prior to the meeting.
IEP and 504 plan meetings are stressful enough as is. Your child’s skills and abilities are dissected for anywhere from two to three hours and your parent heart is expected to hold it together. Request a draft of the plan prior to the meeting. It is very helpful if you have a road map prior to the meeting so you can read it ahead of time, make your suggested edits, prepare your questions and bring any documentation you may have to suggest a different approach.
8. Create a bio for your child
One of the best tips I got from my oldest son’s Pre-K teacher was to create a bio–essentially a roadmap of what he likes and dislikes and what motivates him. I made a Word document that I attach to his IEP and share it with all his teachers and team members to humanize what is sometimes a very dry process. I do note that the document is confidential and only to be shared with his IEP team.
9. Remind the team that the meeting is about your child.
Sometimes when the room gets full, you may have some conflicting personalities and goals. Remind everyone that the goal of meeting is to improve your child’s academic and social/emotional success. It is hard when your heart is out on the table, so take a break if needed. Remember: you do not have to sign the plan at the end of the meeting if you do not agree.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
If only one parent can attend the meeting, invite a friend that may have more experience with Special Education meetings. If your child is obtaining services outside of the school, your child’s provider(s) can provide input and suggestions. There are many non-profit organizations that cater to serving specific conditions, i.e. kids on the autism spectrum or kids with Down’s syndrome, so reach out for guidance. If needed, you can also hire a special education advocate or attorney. Sometimes this assistance is needed to ensure appropriate accommodations and proper implementation of the accommodations.