How to write a letter requesting services?

docmay25

I was told by DS's kindergarten teacher that in order to request an evluation for special ed services I need to write a letter.  I have been putting this off for days because I have no idea where to start or what to say in the letter.  i am terrible at writing things like this.

DS had testing done by dev. pedi, but we do not have official diagnosis.  We have an initial diagnosis of Hypotonia, generalized anxiety disorder, developmental delay and behavioral disturbance.  The behavioral disturbance was put because he needed to do further testing to determine if ds has pDD or ADD.  He also has Sensory Processing issues.

So any thoughts on what to include in the letter?  What do I have to write and where do I start? 

Any help from those who have been thru this is so appreciated.  he was turned down for services in preschool.  I really need to do things right this time.

LandoWedding

Legally, once you put it in writing, they have to MEET. ?You are a member of the team that meets, so you get a say in evaluation. ?Generally, something like this will suffice:

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"To Whom it May Concern,

?I am writing to request an IEP meeting for my son, ______. ?I would like to have him evaluated to determine if he qualifies for Special Education services. ?He is able to _______ academically, but is not able to ________ (i.e, complete work independently, identify letters, etc.)"

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Then, bring every note from every doctor's appointment to the meeting! ?If he doesn't qualify for Special Ed testing, check and see if his medical diagnosis can be enough for a 504 plan, which can give a student accommodations in various academic tasks. ?

bridalbells

Excuse me, a letter for a Evaluation for an IEP is CRAP. ( Excuse language)

All I had to do is contact the city schools and request an eval for Alex.  When we went in for the evaluation, they suspected a delay,so we did further testing because of that suspicion and determined she had a delay.

My honest suggestion is to call your local school and ask for the special education teacher(s) and request an evaluation.  It will be worth it

lab

 

 

Matildasun

bridalbells:

Excuse me, a letter for a Evaluation for an IEP is CRAP. ( Excuse language)

No, it isn't crap, it is a great way to request service and have proof that you did. In many places a parental referral needs to be in writing before anything can be done. It does not have to be detailed. 

As a teacher who has a concern about a child, I can approach the IEP team, but by law have to prove that I have put interventions in place and show progress or lack thereof. This process can take months before an initial meeting is held.

or, I can tell the parent that if they are concerned then they should write a letter requesting a meeting to determine if evaluation is warranted. I know that the team then has 90 days to hold an initial meeting, do the assessments, and then meet again. It is a much faster process.

If I am really concerned about a kid, I always tell a parent to write a letter. Often I give them the paper and pen to write it with, and then send them directly to the IEP office.

Landoweddings sample letter is perfect, you don't need to be very specific in the initial letter. Before or at the initial meeting someone from the team will ask you to list your concerns in more detail. 

(I hope this made sense) 

LandoWedding

The letter only assures you of an IEP meeting within 60 days. ?That's why a written letter is important. ?Some schools are more willing to meet without it than others. ?Then the TEAM determines if testing is needed. ?That's why the medical information can be helpful to back you up. ?The parent is an equal member of the team. ?

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I've been on teams that have decided NOT to test despite parental request. ?Usually, there is something else going on (such as frequent absences) that prevent testing from truly determining if disability or absence is causing the academic delay.?