Every child receiving special education services through a publicly run school is required to have an individualized education plan, which describes what needs the child has, what services and education the school will provide and how success will be measured. The idea of having an individualized education plan, or IEP, is wonderful. However, the process of getting an IEP that meets the child’s needs and is utilized correctly by the school district is not always as easy as it seems.

Many times, parents can work with the school district themselves to coordinate expert essential care and education for their children. Other times, parents may feel that the district is not listening to their needs, is not providing all the services that it promised or is not providing accurate assessments of their child’s development. In these scenarios, parents should consider using the services of a trusted legal professional who has plenty of experience working with special needs children. Newman, Aaronson, Vanaman is a firm that has over 30 years of experience in these matters and can provide compassionate yet knowledgeable advice with IEPs.

Laws in the United States Govern what the IEP must Include

Some of these are:

An IEP is developed by a large team of professionals as well as by those who know the child best. Namely, the parents will be on this team in addition to a general teacher, a special education teacher, a school psychologist and a representative of the school district. Should parents wish to, they may also bring along other team members and even a legal representative if they feel that their concerns are not being heard.