Special Education Model Forms: What Are They, And How Will They Help My Child?

Are you the parent of a child with a disability receiving special education services? Did you know that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required the Office of Special Education Programs to develop 3 model forms? Would you like to know what they are, and how they can help your child? This artcle will discuss the three model forms, and how you can use them in advocacy to help your child's education.

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) which is under the Department of Education was responsible for developing the forms. These forms may be downloaded at http://idea.ed.gov. Click Part B, then in the lower left hand side box, click model forms. The three forms are:

Form 1:Individualized Education Program (IEP) form. This form is four pages long, and has all of the required eleements that must be included in your child's IEP. You can use this to help your child, by downloading the form, and filling it in with the things that you think your child needs. Bring the form with you to the meeting, and use the filled out form to ask for services that your child needs. Your state board of education may also have an IEP form; check on there Website to see if it is more detailed.

Form 2: Prior Written Notice form. IDEA requires written notice whenever the school district a. proposes to begin or change the identification, evaluation, or placement of yor child or the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE), or b. refuses to begin or change the identification, evaluation, or placement of your child, or the provision of a free appropriate public education. The Prior Written Notice form is two pages long, and has all of the required elements of PWN. You can use this to help your child, by downloading the form and filling it in, especially if special education personnel refuse to give you PWN. Send your filled in PWN to the school district.

Form 3: Procedural Safeguards Form. Procedural safeguards are rights of parents that have a child with a disability, given to them by IDEA. Some of these safeguards are: PWN, informed parental consent for psychological evaluations, equal participation in IEP meetings, right to an independent educational evaluation at public expense (IEE) if you disagree with the school districts evaluation. You can use this form to help your child by reading and/or downloading the form at the address above. By learning your rights you can effectively advocate for your child.

By having access to the three model forms, you can be an active participant in yor child's education. School personnel may be surprised when you bring in your own form to an IEP meeting, but that is okay. By bringing filled in forms to an IEP meeting you can help your child receive an appropriate education.