Here's what you can do:
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Contact the school principal, director of special education, or superintendent. Ask for a meeting to talk about your child's needs and why your child did not qualify.
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Before the meeting, list the reasons why you feel your child DOES meet the criteria for special education. Gather documents that support your reasons. These documents might include evaluation results, or letters from specialists.
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At the meeting, use this evidence to make the case for why your child needs special education services.
Try to be open-minded and understand the rest of the school team's opinions. Remember that this is a team effort, and that the school generally has your child's best interests in mind.
Hopefully this meeting will lead to an agreement on the changes. If that doesn't happen, you still have options! You can ask for a hearing to try to find a solution.
NOTE: If at any point you have a complaint, you can ask for help from outside your school district.
Click the box below to learn about the state's dispute resolution process:
Dispute resolution is a process of resolving disagreements.
The school system has a formal process to go through.This is your legal right.
These are the steps, in order:
1. Meet with the school again
Share your concerns with the school team and try to work together.
2. Request a facilitated IEP
Bring in a neutral facilitator to improve communication between you
and the IEP team.
3. Ask for Mediation
Bring in a neutral mediator who is trained to help resolve issues
between you and the school district.
4. File an informal complaint
5. File a formal complaint
6. File for a Due Process Hearing
This is a formal meeting, like a court trial. This should be a last resort!
How to find more information:
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See this 29-page booklet:Louisiana's Educational Rights of Children with Disabilities: Special Education Processes and Procedural Safeguards(Click on it to open it in a new window on your screen). Dispute resolution starts on page 15.
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See this 103-page booklet for lots of detailed information. It's easy to understand and explains the process for dispute resolution. It even has sample letters that you can adapt for your own needs: A Good IDEA for Louisiana: A Guide for Parents and Students About Special Education Services
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Click on this link to the Louisiana Believes webpage.
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See the chart below explaining these options; or click the box below that to download it.
You can also contact the State at DisputeResolution.DOE@la.gov.
Source: LA DOE
Source: LA DOE