|
Q: How do I request special education services
for my child?
A: Each state and school district has its own guidelines for special education.
Again, it is important for you to ask your Director of Special Education
or your school principal to explain them to you. They will also provide
you with written guidelines.
These guidelines will tell you exactly what you have to do to request
services. It's a good idea to put all your requests in writing, even if
it's not required by your school district. A letter will avoid confusion
and provide everyone -- you, the school, and evaluation team -- with a
record of your request. Always keep a copy of each letter you send.
Q: How long does it take to get an answer
to my letter?
A: It is useful to remember that if you write to a large organization,
there may be several people who will handle your letter before it gets
to the person to whom it is addressed. Mail is often opened by someone
who sorts letters and puts them in the appropriate mail slots at school
or in the office. A secretary may collect mail from the boxes and sort
through to answer all general requests or other non-personal mail. Then
your letter may be moved to the right person's mail box, and he or she
will pick it up within a few days, depending on the time of year and other
work in progress. Obviously, smaller offices will have fewer steps and
very large offices may have more. Thus, response time will vary.
Often state or school district guidelines specify
the amount of time a school has to respond to your request. Although the
federal law states that schools must respond in a "timely manner" or within
a "reasonable" period of time, most states and districts actually define
this period by days. If you have not heard from the school within 10 working
days of sending your letter, it is certainly all right to phone the office
to make sure your letter was received and to ask when you can expect an
answer. If you have asked for a meeting or other services which may require
coordinating with several other people, it may delay the response to your
request.
If you need a letter answered in fewer than 10 working days (for instance
if you are moving or if your child's health suddenly changes), it might
be useful to call the office and let them know that you have sent a letter
and would like a response as soon as possible (or by a specific date).
That way, the staff can speed up the process a bit.
Q: To whom do I address my letter?
A: This will depend on the type of request you are making in your letter.
Call your child's teacher or school principal, explain the type of request
you are making (e.g., request for an initial evaluation of your child
or for a meeting to review your child's IEP), and ask who should get the
letter. The principal is responsible for activities in his or her school,
and you can address certain letters to your child's school principal.
In some instances, you might find that the letter should be sent to the
local Director of Special Education. Call to make sure of the spelling
of the person's name and his or her correct mailing address. Also, remember
to make a copy of your letter to send to your child's teacher, so that
he or she will be aware of what is going on and know your concerns.
Q: In general, what do I say in my letter?
A: When writing any business letter, it is important to keep it short
and to the point. Ask yourself these questions, answer them for yourself,
and state them in your letter:
• Why am I writing this?
• Specifically, what are my concerns?
• What would I like the person to whom I'm writing to do about
this situation?
• What are my questions, if any?
• What sort of response do I want: a letter, a meeting, a phone
call, or something else?
Q: What else do I need to say in my letter?
A: Each letter you write should have certain basic information included.
• Be sure there is a date on your letter.
• Be sure to give your child's full name and current class placement.
• Say what you want, rather than what you don't want.
• Be sure to give an address and/or daytime phone number where
you can be reached.
Be sure there is a question or request in the
letter, so that the person to whom you are
writing can answer you.
The sample letters listed below address some of the
many reasons parents may have for writing, including when you want to:
1. Discuss a problem.
2. Request an initial evaluation for special education
services.
3. Request a meeting to review the IEP.
4. Request a change of placement.
5. Request records.
6. Request an independent evaluation.
7. Request a due process hearing.
8. Write a follow-up letter.
9. Give positive feedback.
|
