The things that don’t change

Your child’s entire world is going to change. Their town, school, friends, and house will all be different. However there are some things that won’t change.

Your child’s school records, assessments, diagnoses and need for special education will remain the same. You should have a copy of everything kept neatly in a binder and be able to provide copies as needed.

If you don’t have all the information, gather up what you can and start a binder. Also, call the school and ask for a copy of everything they have on file for your child. Do the same with the child’s doctors. (I will post at a later about keeping a binder for each school year and what should go in it.)

If your child has a 504 plan, that will stay the same. It is transferable to any state in the nation because it’s a federally recognized document.

If your child has an IEP in many cases it’s transferable from state to state. If you are moving from one town to another in the same state, at least in California, the new school district must provide the services outlined for 30 days. After 30 days there’ll be a new IEP meeting called with you, teachers and district employees from that school attending. At that point you’ll review the current IEP and make adjustments as needed.

This is the part where it gets fuzzy for me. What if the new school wants drastic changes that I don’t feel are appropriate? Can they make sweeping decisions?

I believe this is where the power of the parent comes into play. I can disagree and challenge the changes and it must go into mediation and possibly to court. During the time of disagreement the current IEP must be honored. Hopefully we won’t ever get to that point.

To be very clear, I’m not an expert but only a parent. I’m not even a parent who’s magnificently knowledgeable in special education law. I’m simply relaying information as I understand it and hope it’s a helpful pointer for any other parent or guardian struggling with the same issue.

Do call your local school resource person or district office to find out the specifics of your child’s plan and its ability to be transferred.

Check the 'Special Education' category for related posts.