How to Use a "Parent IEP Attachment"
by Judy Bonnell, Advocate

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Until recently, I had great difficulty getting districts to take parent attachments seriously. Recently, I was told that the district could not attach such a document to the IEP!

I turned to Prior Notice in the Procedural Safeguards section of the statute. Prior Notice specifies that requests made by the parent must be accepted or rejected, and that the IEP team must list the reasons for accepting or rejecting the proposal. (Note: Section 1415(c) describes the specific requirements for Prior Written Notice; see pages 100-101 in Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004)

I devised a simple form with four columns: one column for Proposal, columns for Accepted or Rejected, and a column for "Reason Accepted or Rejected." (See sample form)

If the parent's request is Accepted, a notation is added about who is responsible for initiating the proposal and the start date.

The parent must ensure that the IEP team states their reasons for accepting or rejecting each proposal.

After doing this in a couple of meetings, our district suggested using my form to keep track of proposals and how they were resolved. I was so proud of them! They are in compliance. And parents now have definite "yes" or "no" answers to their requests, and the reasons for these decisions.

When the IEP team uses this form (even if it is an unofficial form designed by a parent), it eliminates concerns about inactivity or that someone will drop the ball, sidestep a request, or simply forget.

All members of the IEP team know which issues have been resolved and which issues have not been decided. Issues that are tabled for further investigation should have a name attached and a date for the issue to be answered.

I don't think most parents realize what a powerful tool this is. If parents use this strategy to make the IEP process work for their child, the IEP process may become a little more "parent friendly."

Sample Prior Written Notice Form

IEP for _____________________________________________

Date_____________________

Download Prior Written Notice Form in pdf or in word

I continue to be a big fan of your site. As an advocate, your site is the first one I refer parents to. I was delighted to see permission granted to reprint your articles so I may pass them on to parents who do not have access to the internet.

More Advocacy Tips from Judy Bonnell

Judy has a website,Special Needs and Special Gifts with many excellent articles and tips for parents, including:

Understanding Prior Written Notice

Your Tools: Documentation

The IEP