IEP ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT

You are their strongest advocate

We recognize finding the support you need can often be overwhelming. We encourage you to read through the resources below as you learn the best way to navigate the system. Our podcasts, templates, and related documents should give you a good foundation to begin the advocacy journey for your child. Still have questions ... we're here to help. Contact us to schedule a consultation. For more parent resources, click here.

For support suggestion by grade, click here.

Podcast

All Things Special About Education is a podcast dedicated to supporting parents on their journey as they advocate for the best education opportunities for their children.

Intro to Special Education - Watch Now

IEP process (1/3) - Watch Now

IEP process (2/3) - Watch Now

IEP process (3/3) - Watch Now

Watch more episodes here.

KY Procedural Safeguards Notice

Kentucky Department of Education - Procedural Safeguards Notice

These are offered to you at least once per year. I encourage parents to take them every time. This lets the district know that you understand they are your rights within the process and that you have access to your rights at your fingertips.

Meeting Notice

-Kentucky Department of Education Meeting Notice document

Meeting Notice podcast - Watch Now
The district provides you seven days' notice, indicates the purpose of the meeting, and lets you know who will be present at the meeting. If anyone has to leave early or can't be there (but is listed), you'll sign an excusal form for each individual person.
The meeting needs to be at a mutually agreed upon time and place - so if you want to attend in person or at least virtually on Zoom or Google Meet, you are afforded that opportunity. (Read More)

Kentucky Administrative Regulations

Section 3 describes who attends an ARC meeting (Admissions and Release Committee)
Section 4 describes parent participation

Kentucky Parent Guide for Special Education

Page 8 - ARC information

Referral

Download the referral template here.

Evaluation planning and Evaluations

Kentucky Department of Education Consent to Evaluate/Reevaluate form

This is the form that the district completes online during the referral meeting or a re-evaluation planning meeting. You won't see it until they have completed it and printed it for you to sign. In theory, this is a lot like ordering dinner without seeing the menu. Seems crazy at a restaurant, but they expect you to be ok with it at school.
In general, in order to deny a parent's request, they need to provide you the data to support their denial. Using the data they have communicated to you is very helpful when requesting specific evaluations/assessments, like with behavior assessments.
Check the boxes on a blank form and make sure that the form you are signing matches the form that you brought with you. The district will only complete the tests that you have consented to on the form, so make sure all areas of suspected disability are included.
This is the form that you'll sign to consent to any evaluations...if they feel additional/new evaluations are necessary. You’ll see it circle back around again in 3 years for the re-evaluation.

13 Areas of Eligibility

The district will only evaluate for the areas listed on the consent to evaluate. More than one category can be included on the top of the Consent to Evaluate in the “Suspected Disability or Disability” box, but only 1 eligibility category (the most appropriate as determined by evaluations) goes on the IEP document.

Testing and Evaluation Resources :

General Intelligence Testing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-evbTG4_5M

Academic Testing (1/2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwaX1Xth8fA

Academic Testing (2/2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKR-Rz2yNG8

Communication/speech therapy evaluation (1/2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqxOvkty66U

Communication/speech therapy evaluation (2/2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5PTqK2TsYQ

What if you disagree with the district's evaluation?

If you disagree with the district's evaluations or reevaluation, you can request an IEE done by someone outside the district that you choose, at the district's expense. Download that template here.

Kentucky Regulations regarding IEEs. Click here for resources.
US Department of Education | Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (student is no longer eligible and parent makes a request) Click here for resources.
US Department of Education |Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (requesting an IEE in an area not previously assessed). Click here for resources.
Parent Guide for Special Education. Click here for resources (IEE is discussed on page 12).

Eligibility Meeting

When you receive the meeting notice for a meeting "to discuss results of an initial evaluation and develop and IEP if eligible," email back with a formal written request that all documents that will be reviewed and referenced will be emailed to you at least three days before the meeting to afford you your right to meaningful participation in the special education process as an equal ARC member.

Once the evaluation or reevaluation has been completed, the district will complete the eligibility form for the area(s) being tested to confirm eligibility. Again, these are forms that you won't see until they are completed and printed. It's nice to see what they are looking for when determining eligibility. The forms are all to determine what area of disability is having the largest negative impact on his education at this time. A school district provides an eligibility category, not a diagnosis, so these forms confirm the most appropriate eligibility category for special education intervention.

In KY, a student can be eligible for special education services in the category of Developmental Delay until they turn 9. The worksheets for each eligibility are listed on the right side of the webpage.

Download the Kentucky Department of Education Eligibility Worksheets (blank)*

Draft initial IEP

Drafting this initial IEP may happen at the same meeting as eligibility determination, but it's ok to ask to have two separate meetings if it feels overwhelming. When you receive the meeting notice for a meeting "to discuss results of an initial evaluation and develop and IEP if eligible" or "to develop, review or revise an the student's IEP and make placement decisions," email back with a formal written request for a draft IEP at least three days before the ARC meeting to afford you your right to meaningful participation in the special education process as an equal ARC member.

Download Formal Written Request Template

Kentucky Department of Education Blank IEP

This is where you can find the specific info about where each service is happening, who is responsible for it and how often it's happening.

Special Education Setting - on the first page, near the top - This is the percentage of time a student spends in the general education classroom. You can expect to see >80% of the school day here for a student who is spending the majority of their day in a general education classroom.
Reporting Progress - page 8 - Generally, this is 2x/year in preschool or concurrent with the issuance of report cards in elementary, middle, and high school. You can increase the frequency by requesting that increase in writing.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) - on page 13 - This will describe specifically where academics are taking place (general education classroom), special education services are taking place (co-teaching in the special education classroom), and counseling services (office)
Special Education Services - immediately follows LRE on page 13 - Specifically describes each special education service
Related Services - immediately follows special education services on page 14 - Specifically describes the related services (OT, PT, speech, counseling, etc)

Annual update

Template for a parent concern and input email: - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xLBTZvNPMRae42mCPxhqIBrdYk8G4kyRuIxD-Mnqj-A/edit?usp=sharing

Reevaluation

Re-evaluations are required at least every three years. The district does a re-evaluation to confirm the student is still eligible. This is especially important when a student ages out of Developmental Delay eligibility at nine years old and the district needs to establish eligibility in a new category.

Section 300.303 Reevaluations:

This is the federal statute from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that specifically references the parent's right to request a re-evaluation early. It may not be important at the moment, but it could be useful in the future. Read Section 300.303 Reevaluations here.

Kentucky Parent Guide for Special Education

Page 18 describes the re-evaluation process. Read more about that process here.

Dyslexia

The links below provide valuable resources for addressing dyslexia.

When Behavior Negatively Impacts Education

The links below provide valuable resources for addressing this topic.

What you need to know:

These are blank documents from the KDE. Each district does not have to use these specific forms, but it's reasonable to expect the content of a robust FBA and BIP will be the same.
A quality Functional Behavior Assessment determines the specific function of a specific behavior through skilled observation
A BIP is based on the results of the FBA. Request that the BIP include 3 pieces for each behavior:

1. Proactive routine and environmental changes to reduce the incidence of each target behavior

2. Skill-building and teaching strategies to reduce the incidence of each target behavior

3. Reactive strategies to use when necessary (these are individualized strategies that are not part of the standard discipline procedures)

Kentucky Parent Guide for Special Education

Read the full guide here. More info on this starts on page 19 in Chapter 6: What if my child displays behavior concerns?

Additional Templates:

Parent Concern Email

Evaluation Request

IEE Request