Accommodations and modifications are an important part of an IEP. They include the specific supports the team recommends to ensure the student can access the services, standards, and curriculum included in their educational program.

Parents’ Rights are summarized in a document that parents should receive prior to every IEP meeting. This document is also sometimes referred to as Procedural Safeguards.

An initial IEP is held to determine whether a student is eligible to receive special education services.

If your child was assessed, and for any reason you don’t agree with the assessment results, you have the right to contest the results.

Even if most of the assessment process happens while your child is at school, you are still an active participant in the assessment process.

Once your child has been found eligible for special education services and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is being implemented, you can expect your child to be assessed every three years. This is called a triennial evaluation.

If you believe your child is in need of assessment—either to make changes to their existing Individualized Education Program (IEP) or to establish special education services through an initial IEP—you should make your request for assessment in writing to a member of your child’s IEP team or to an administrator at your child’s school.

If your child is already receiving special education services, it is within your rights to ask for changes to those services. You can ask for more or less of a service they are currently receiving. You can also ask for a service they aren’t currently receiving to be added to their program.

IEP teams will include team members based on each student’s services and specific program, but typically a team is composed of: Case manager, Special education teacher, School psychologist, Service providers, Administrator, General education teacher.