My Child Needs PE. May I request that the school put at least 10 minutes a day of physical activity for my child on his IEP?
If your child has a disability and an IEP, the school must provide physical education as part of your child’s special education program.
Answer: Read IDEA requirements for specially designed Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education (APE)
Do I Have a Right to Observe My Child’s Classroom?
I want to observe the class before agreeing (or not agreeing) to a placement for my child? The special ed director said I cannot observe the class because of confidentiality issues with the other children.
Answer: In Parent Observations v. Student Confidentiality, Pete and Pam offer strategies to deal with administrators who take positions that are not based on law, or common sense.
My Child’s Teacher Does Not Know Him – What Can I Do?
Answer: If the teacher does not know your child – then what? You need to get to know your child’s teacher. Advocate Pat Howey explains how you can jump in as your child’s “case manager.”
Find out what parents want teachers to understand about their children. Learn what IDEA says about more support and training for teachers.
Placement decisions – who makes them? Are parents involved?
What can parents do, what can we not do, who has a say in placement, and what happens if we disagree with the school?
Answer: IDEA 2004 says parents must be involved in placement decisions.
If I refuse consent for a new intervention program, can the school terminate my son’s IEP?
You can allow the school to implement parts of the IEP. The school may not draw a line in the sand, or force you to accept the IEP “all or nothing.”
Answer: Implementing part of an IEP in Can I Revoke Consent for a Service in the IEP?
Here is a great resource from the National Association of State Boards of Education to check to see whether your state has physical activity requirements for general education:
http://www.nasbe.org/healthy_schools/hs/bytopics.php?topicid=3120
As always, check to see whether these have been updated by checking your state’s code and regulations.
You should also check your state’s general education code and regulations. Some states require a specific amount of physical exercise per day for elementary students and Pennsylvania law (I believe) used to state that recess could not be taken away from a child. At any rate, this can and should be addressed at the IEP table.