Parental Rights

Getting Ready for Healthcare at the Age of Majority

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Buzz | “Bread and Butter” Topics of Parent Centers (& Parents)

What concerns and questions do newcomer families often tend to have when they learn that their child has a disability? These, shall we say, are the bread-and-butter of topics that Parent Centers so often address. This Buzz connects you with easy-to-share introductions to and explanations of what many newcomer families need to know. New Parent Center staffers may also find these materials a useful crash course in basic topics related to children with disabilities.

Buzz | New PDFs for You

This issue of the Buzz announces a wave of new PDFs that CPIR has created for many of our most popular resources for parents. We know that Parent Centers frequently share resources with their families about bread-and-butter topics such evaluating children for disabilities, parental rights, IEPs, the steps involved in the special education process, and so on. Having accessible PDFs (yes, accessible!) that are easy to email, print, copy, and use as handouts makes it that much easier to share key information directly with parents.

Parental Rights under IDEA

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Right to Obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation

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Parent Participation in Early Intervention

Families, most particularly parents, are vital participants in early intervention. Your contributions are invaluable:

at the individual level where you are intimately involved in determining the services that your own child will receive; and at an organizational level determining policies and scope for EI programs.

Right to Receive Prior Written Notice (Part B of IDEA)

Parental rights under IDEA include the right to receive prior written notice from the school each time that the school proposes to take (or refuses to take) certain actions with respect to your child. Specifically, the school must provide parents with prior written notice each time that it:

proposes to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of your child;
proposes to initiate or change the provision of FAPE to your child (that’s a free appropriate public education);
refuses to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of your child;
refuses to initiate or change the provision of FAPE to your child.

Parental Right to Participate in Meetings

The right to participate in meetings related to their child is one of the most important and powerful of parent rights. Parents have the right to participate in meetings with respect to the:

their child’s identification,
their child’s evaluation,
their child’s educational placement, and
provision of FAPE (free appropriate public education) to their child.

Babies & Toddlers

The birth of a child is an exciting, life-changing event. A beautiful new baby comes to your house, family, and neighborhood. It is a time for celebration. But what happens when this new child has a disability? What if there are health problems? What if, as time goes by, it seems as if the child isn’t learning and progressing as quickly or easily as other children? What do you do?

Parent Notification and Consent in Early Intervention

Parents are essential partners in early intervention. They have the right to be deeply involved at every step along the way, from evaluation of their child, to the writing of the individualized family service plan (IFSP), to helping to determine the early intervention services their child receives. Not surprisingly, Part C of IDEA includes specific provisions to support the informed involvement of parents in their child’s early intervention program.