So many school districts have made major changes to their schools since fully integrated schools and classrooms became required by law. That is excellent news for all kids since typical children will have less fear and less hatred of kids with special needs, and kids with special needs receive an equal education on par with their peers. However, the system may not always work, and there are some schools that still fail to be in compliance with laws and state regulations.

If you are a parent in a school district that seems to be shorting your child with special needs on their education, you need to become an advocate for your child. Sometimes, that means a lawsuit is necessary. Here is how to be an advocate, and what you may need to do when your child is not receiving the education they are promised by law.

Contribute to the IEP, and Be Specific

If your child has an IEP, be sure to attend all of the meetings wherein your child's IEP is developed, discussed, altered, and modified. When you are present at these meetings, be sure to be very specific about what goals you expect the school to meet and in what capacity you expect those goals to be met. Doing so means that the school and special needs teacher have to write the IEP that way, and it becomes a legally binding document in the event that the school fails to follow the IEP. If you should notice that the IEP is not being followed to the letter, you have to ask why and what circumstances led to its being avoided. If an adequate answer is not provided, you may have to pursue legal matters.

Advocating Through Legal Action

If your child's IEP is not being followed or if something happens to your child where the IEP was ignored or your child was harmed, then you should consult a special education lawyer. These lawyers assist both schools and parents of children with special needs by either defending the school's position on a special education matter or helping parents sue a school district for infringement of the rights of a special needs child or harm to a special needs child. If you need to meet with such a lawyer, be sure to bring your child's IEP with you and any documentation or proof of how the school failed to provide an education and/or prevent harm to your child.

For more information, contact a local special education lawyer

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