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Letter Writing

Asserting Your Child's Rights Through Letter Writing and Submission of Forms

One of the tools that you can use to assert your child's rights is to write your school requesting assessments and services, and to educate the school personnel as to your legal rights. The form letters provided below will make this task much easier for you.  

Logs, Journals and Calendars 
When you advocate for your child, get in the habit of using logs, calendars, and journals to create paper trails. You will want to write letters to clarify events and what you were told.  When you train yourself to write things down, you are taking steps to protect your child's interests.  This is a very simple thing to do and will soon become a habit. 

If you have a dispute with the school, your logs and letters are independent evidence that support your memory.  Documents that support your position will help you resolve disputes early.   

Forms of Letters
Assessments and Evaluations

1.    Request for an Assessment 

2.   Request for an Assessment for Autism 

3.    Request for an Assessment for a Young Child with Autism

4.    Request for an Assessment for a Particular Related Service 

5.    Letter Requesting Information as to the Education, Training and Experience of Assessor Who Will be Assessing Your Child

6.    Letter Requesting the Education, Training, and Experience of the Person Who Will Be Assessing Your Child for a Particular Service or Area

7.    Letter Requesting Parent Input in Assessment

8.    Request for Independent Educational Evaluation

9.    Request for Copy of Assessment Prior to IEP

10. Request for Assessment Protocols

11. Request for Explanation of Test Protocols

12.
Follow-up Request for Explanation of Test Protocols 

 Request for School Records and other Documents

13. Request for Types and Locations of School Records

14. Request for Copy of School Records 

15. Request for Change in School Records 

16. Request for Information under No Child Left Behind Act (Personnel Qualifications)

    IEPS

17.Request for Documents Showing Personnel Development Plan, Staffing Plan under Federal Law

18.Request for an IEP

19. Request to Participate in IEP Meeting via Telephone Conference with Legal Authority 

20. Request to Change Date of IEP

21. Letter Requesting Letter of Authority Prior to IEP with Legal Authority

24. Parent Attachment to IEP 

25. Transmitting Parent Attachment to School with Legal Authority 

26. Letter Request that Statement of Methodology be Included in IEP with Legal Authority 

27. Letter Request for Information as the Qualifications of a Teacher or Provider who will be Implementing the Program Offered in the IEP Meeting Letter 

28. An Alternative Letter Requesting Information as to the Qualifications of a Teacher or Service Provider who will be Implementing the Program Offered in the IEP 

29. Request for Documentation of Research Supporting Methodology Chosen by the School District for Educating Your Child - with Legal Authority 

30. Letter of Revocation of Consent to All or Part of IEP

29. Response to Offer of Placement or Services

31. Response to Offer of Placement - Parent Attachment to IEP (or you can cut and paste the text into a letter to the school.) 

32. Request for Observation of Placement by Parent's Expert 

33. Request for Permission to Have Expert Observe Child in Classroom and Other Areas at School 

34. Ten Day Notice of Parent's Intention to Unilaterally Place Student in a Private Placement and Seek Reimbursement

35. Request for Qualified Teacher (or Aide or Service Provider) for Child with Autism

36. Request for Support - Training of Teachers, Aides and/or Other Personnel (training in autism, Asperger's, behavioral, naturalistic learning, PECs and or other areas) 

37. Letter Requesting Times, Place and Information Regarding Offered Services

38. Letter Request for Qualifications of a Teacher or Service Provider, Where the Service will be Provided, Times, Days and Number of Children in Class (This request may also be put in a Parent Attachment.)

Due Process

39. Request for Due Process 

40. Letter to Special Ed Attorney and Information Form

41. Letter Requesting Mediation and Due Process

41. Extended School Year and Stay Put 

42. Letter Demanding that IEP Program not be Changed Pursuant the "Stay Put" Doctrine

43.Letter Requesting Extended Year Services for Young Child 

44. Letter Requesting Extended School Year 

45. Letter Requesting Qualifications of Extended School Year Personnel 

46.  Letter Requesting Assessment Before and After Summer Break

47.
Qualified Teacher (or Aide or Service Provider) for ESY Letter to School

48. Regarding Transitional Services

Complaint to Office of Civil Rights

49. Complaint to Office of Civil Rights

50.
Complaint to State Department of Education 

51. Office of Civil Rights Complaint Form (also available online @ http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html 

52. Letter to School of Notification that Consent to Graduate is not Given 

53. Letter Regarding Discrimination 

54. Request that No Physical Restraints be Used on Child 

55. Consent to Use Attached Authorizations with Restrictions 

56. Request that Data Collection System be Implemented 

57. Confirming Letter 

58. Follow up letter when School Does Not Respond to Previous Letter 

59. Letter of Dissent 

60. Thank you letter