Individualized education programs (IEPs) help students who live with disabling medical conditions attend public school. IEPs may require testing accommodations, mental health support and a variety of other services to help students safely access public education. Parents often invest significant effort into the creation of an IEP to ensure that their children receive the services that they require to allow them to learn and thrive.
Unfortunately, schools and individual educators do not always uphold the requirements of an IEP. What can parents do when a school has violated a student’s rights and has failed to offer the accommodations that have been outlined in an IEP?
Document violations
Parents who are aware that their students have not received appropriate accommodations as outlined in their IEPs need to keep thorough records of each violation that occurs. Parents should keep detailed records of each incident in writing. That way, they can show a pattern of behavior, rather than just a single oversight or mistake.
Request a meeting
IEP enforcement often begins with a sit-down meeting. Teachers, principals and various other support professionals at the school may attend the meeting. After reviewing the documentation that is provided by the parents, the school and its personnel can take the necessary steps to help ensure that the student receives the support they need to thrive in public school.
The process of negotiating and enforcing an IEP can be very difficult for parents who may already have high levels of stress due to their children’s additional support needs. Working with an education law attorney can help parents better advocate for their children.