How to Ask for a Change in Your Child’s IEP? PARENT

By A’me Dunn

VP Community Building of Issaquah Special Education PTSA

hello@issaquahapecialeducationptsa.org

When the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) team writes the goals for the year, they are using their best knowledge about what is true about the child at that time. However, children grow and change in ways that cannot be foreseen. The IEP goals may not be suitable for the entire year.

If you ever feel that the IEP goals are not meeting your child’s needs, it is a good time to talk to the child’s teacher. The teacher is the educational expert, and they know what is both developmentally and academically appropriate for children. However, you are the expert on your own child. Only you can see what happens at home before and after school. Only you can see anxiety or depression that a teacher may overlook. Only you are responsible for the little face that you tuck into bed every night and kiss on the cheek before turning out the light or the teen who refuses a hug but still wants to know what you are making for dinner.

It is always an appropriate time to talk to your child’s teacher about your child’s IEP.

WHO can ask for a change? Parents/guardians, teachers, the student

HOW do you ask for a change? Put it in writing; email is best.

• Copy everybody on the IEP team to the email. This includes the principal, school psychologist, general education teacher, special education teacher, any specialists who see your child, such as a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) or Occupational Therapist (OT).

• Say what it is you want to change. Some changes can be made without a meeting, and some changes need a meeting. If you are asking for more time in special education, there probably needs to be a meeting. For example, “I am writing to change the minutes my child receives in special education. I would like to change from 20 minutes of pull-out reading per week, as is written on the IEP, to 30 minutes of pull-out reading per week.”

• Say why you think the change is necessary. For example, “This is a necessary change because my child has not made sufficient progress in reading, based on the IEP goals that we wrote at the last meeting.” Use as many examples as you can. Examples can include grades, progress reports, behavior you see at home, and anything else you think is relevant to your child. This information does not need to come from a professional evaluator. YOU can also share the knowledge you have with the team. Your knowledge counts as evidence for the IEP. You can see their progress or stress at home that teachers cannot see. As a member of the team and as your child’s advocate, it is your responsibility to monitor progress as you see it.

• Tell them the next steps because you are a pro! For example, “If you agree with this change, it can be made without an IEP meeting. Please send me the paperwork to sign. If you do not agree with this change, please send me a Prior Written Notice (PWN) as to why. However, if you would like to discuss this more, please send me an IEP meeting request.”

WHAT is a Prior Written Notice (PWN)?

In the Procedural Safeguards given to you by the District, you are guaranteed to be given a Prior Written Notice (PWBN) whenever the District adds, changes, or denies educational services or wants to change a child’s placement.

According to understood.org, Prior Written Notice must include a full description of what the school plans to do or refuses to do. It must also give parents the following:

• An explanation of why the school wants to make this change or is refusing to make the change you requested.

• A description of other options that were considered and why those options were rejected.

• A description of each test or record the school used in making the decision.

• A reminder that parents have legal rights to procedural safeguards.

• Information about how parents can get a written copy of their legal rights

• Contact information for help in understanding their rights

If you disagree with the school’s evaluation results, you have the right to get an IEE (Independent Education Evaluation). An IEE is an evaluation of your child’s skills and needs by someone who’s not a school employee. The school must consider the results of the IEE. However, the school isn’t required to accept the findings.

A copy of your procedural safeguards can be found here: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/special-education/family-engagement-and-guidance/parent-and-studentrights-procedural-safeguards

If you email your child’s teacher to ask for a change to the IEP, the teacher may say no and give a reasonable explanation. However, if you still feel that the IEP needs to change, you should email the entire team and ask for a Prior Written Notice or for an IEP meeting. If IEP goals are not met before the end of the IEP year, they need to be rewritten to better fit the student.

In general, goals should be S.M.A.R.T.

• Specific: Specific goals target areas of academic and functional performance. They include clear descriptions of the knowledge and skills that will be taught and how the child’s progress will be measured.

» Dylan will demonstrate the following study skills: skimming written material and using reference materials in social studies class.

• Measurable: Measurable means you can count or observe it. Measurable goals allow parents and teachers to know how much progress the child has made since the performance was last measured. With measurable goals, you will know when the child reaches the goal.

» Given second-grade material, Owen will read a passage of text orally at 110-130 words per minute with random errors.

• Action words: IEP goals include three components that must be stated in measurable terms:

» Direction of behavior (increase, decrease, maintain, etc.)

» Area of need (reading, writing, social skills, transition, communication)

» Level of attainment (i.e., to age level, without assistance, etc.)

» Provided with anger management training and adult support, Betsy will be able to remove herself from environments that cause her to lose control of her behavior so that she has no disciplinary notices.

• Realistic and relevant: These are objectives that address the child’s unique needs that result from the disability. These are not based on district curricula, state or district tests, or other external standards.

» Kelsey will improve her writing and spelling skills so she can write a clear, cohesive, and readable paragraph consisting of at least three sentences, including compound and complex sentences that are clearly related.

• Time-limited: What does a child need to know and do after one year of special education? What is the starting point for each of the child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance? Time-limited goals and objectives enable you to monitor progress at regular intervals.

What happens when a parent wants to talk to a teacher about making a change to their child’s IEP? It is a reasonable first step. Talking to the teacher is a good way to find out what is working or not working with the IEP. You may choose to speak to the teacher about the changes you want to make, but it is not necessary to do so. Everybody on the IEP team has the child’s best interest at heart, including the teacher and including YOU. Go ahead and ask for the change!

More information can be found here: https:// issaquahspecialeducationptsa.org/

*Information from this article was taken from the book From Emotions to Advocacy, Second Edition. By Pam Wright and Pete Wright. Copies of this book are available for free from the Issaquah Special Education PTSA. Pick up a copy at Parent Power Hour or General Membership Meetings.