The complete IEP guide : how to advocate for your special ed child

Cover
Title Page
Table of Contents
Your Legal Companion for IEPs
1: Introduction to Special Education
	What Is Special Education?
	What Is an IEP?
	Being Your Child’s Advocate
	Getting Help From Others
2: Overview of Special Education Law and the IEP
	The IDEA and State Special Education Laws
	What the IDEA Requires
	Individualized Education Program
	Working With Your School District
	Some Overriding IEP Principles
3: Getting Started: Tips for All Parents
	First Steps
	Obtain Your Child’s School Records
	Harassment
4: Getting Organized
	Start an IEP Binder
	The Yearly IEP Cycle
	Sample Year in the Life of Your Child’s IEP
	Keep a Monthly Calendar
	Track Your Child’s Progress
5: Developing Your Child’s IEP Blueprint
	Begin at the End: Define Your Child’s Needs
	Preparing an IEP Blueprint
	Other Sources of Information for the Blueprint
	What’s Next?
6: Evaluations
	When Evaluations Are Done
	Evaluation Components
	Evaluation Plans
	Meet With the Evaluator
	Reviewing the Report
	Reevaluations
	Final Evaluations
7: Who Is Eligible for Special Education?
	Eligibility Requirements
	Preparing for the IEP Eligibility Meeting
	Attending the Eligibility Meeting
	Joint IEP Eligibility/Program Meeting
	If Your Child Is Not Found Eligible for Special Education
8: Exploring Your Options and Making Your Case
	Review the School District’s Information
	Keep Tabs on Your Child’s Progress
	Explore Available School Programs
	Find Out About Related Services
	Compare Your Blueprint With the Existing Programs and Services
	Generate Additional Supporting Information
	Independent Evaluations
	What If the District Hasn’t Done an Evaluation?
	Requesting that the District Pay for an Evaluation
9: Writing Goals
	Skill Areas Covered by Goals
	Developing Goals
	When to Draft Goals
	Writing Effective Goals
10: Preparing for the IEP Meeting
	Schedule the IEP Meeting
	The IEP Meeting Agenda
	Organize Your Materials
	Draft Your Child’s IEP Program
	Establish Who Will Attend the IEP Meeting
	Final Preparation
11: Attending the IEP Meeting
	Getting Started
	Simple Rules for a Successful IEP Meeting
	Become Familiar With Your School’s IEP Form
	Writing the IEP Plan
	Signing the IEP Document
	Parent Addendum Page
12: Resolving IEP Disputes Through Due Process
	Timeline for Requesting Due Process
	When You Can Go Straight to Court Instead of Using the Due Process Hearing
	Before Due Process: Informal Negotiations
	Typical Due Process Disputes
	When to Pursue Due Process
	Who Can File?
	Your Child’s Status During Due Process
	Using a Lawyer During Due Process
	How to Begin Due Process
	Preparing for Due Process
	Mediation Specifics
	Due Process Hearing
	Hearing Decision and Appeals
13: Filing a Complaint
	When to File a Complaint
	Where to File a Complaint
	What to Include in a Complaint
	What Happens When You File a Complaint
14: Lawyers and Legal Research
	How a Lawyer Can Help
	Do You Need a Lawyer?
	Finding an Attorney
	How Attorneys Are Paid
	Resolving Problems With a Lawyer
	Doing Your Own Legal Research
	Key Court Decisions About Special Education and the IDEA
	Online Legal Research
15: Parent Organizations
	Join a Parent Organization
	Form a Parent Organization
16: How to Use the Companion Page on Nolo.com
	Using the Forms From the Companion Page
	Editing RTFs
	List of Forms
Index
Book Registration