How To Manage Your Autistic Child"s IEP
Updated July 22, 2013.
A community of parents with children on the autism spectrum have collected their hints, tips and knowledge online. These hints and tips are shared with their permission. As soon as they have an official web address, it will be posted to the About.com site.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: As long as your child is in the public school system
Here's How:
Tips:
A community of parents with children on the autism spectrum have collected their hints, tips and knowledge online. These hints and tips are shared with their permission. As soon as they have an official web address, it will be posted to the About.com site.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: As long as your child is in the public school system
Here's How:
- DO NOT SIGN ANY DOCUMENT you don't agree with or question!!!
- DO NOT accept "we can't provide that"!
- DO NOT accept "our Early Childhood program is full right now" or "at this time, we can't give you an evaluation appointment"
- DO NOT be afraid to fight the system for your child
- DO NOT be intimidated by school officials
- DO NOT be afraid to contact your school board members, local, state, and federal representatives if your voice is not being heard. Your child brings funds from all of these branches to your school. Officials can decide to cut funding to the school if you let them know that the school is not meeting your child's needs.
- DO WRITE/RECORD EVERYTHING (this means EVERY conversation, document, phone call and interaction) for your records
- DO ADVOCATE for your child
- DO Remember YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD BETTER THAN ANYONE
- DO KNOW YOUR CHILD"S RIGHTS!!!
- DO bring an advocate, friend, therapists, and family members to IEP Meetings. You have the right to bring as many pople as you wish.
- DO ask the school if you can bring a tape recorder to any meeting you have
- DO Remember from age 3-18 the schoo systeml has a legal obligation to serve your child. Your school system and you will be together a long time so go in knowing your child's rights!!!
- DO use your voice for your child to be heard!!!
- DO Know that your child bring's in tens to hundreds of thousands of FEDERAL dollars to the school he/she attends. Many public schools/school programs would not exist if schools did not receive $$ for its special needs students. Many schools in Chicago got programs/schools funded by first attracting special needs children so they could get the necessary funds.
Tips:
- Use your favorite search engine to find parent support groups in your local area.
- Share your resources, hints and tips with other parents.
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