Parents' Bill of Rights
Parents’ Bill of Rights
As a parent of a child with a disability, you have the right to:
1. Attend individualized education program (IEP) meetings and represent your child’s interests. 2. Have an advocate or expert present at IEP meetings.
3. Receive a copy of your child’s evaluation, disagree with it, and request one independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense.
4. Provide a written report from outside sources as part of the evaluation process.
5. Examine all education records pertaining to your child and be provided with a copy of the IEP. 6. Disagree with IEP team decisions and pursue dispute resolution procedures, including: requesting a facilitated IEP meeting, filing a child complaint with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, requesting state‐paid mediation, having an impartial due process hearing, and appealing the due process decision to the court.
7. Participate in reviews of the IEPs and in any decision to change any aspects of the IEP, as well as receive Prior Written Notice for a change in your child’s educational placement or the provision of a free and appropriate public education.
8. Have your child placed in the least restrictive environment and in a general education classroom to the greatest extent appropriate.
9. Request an accommodation to provide effective communications if you have limited English language proficiency.
10. A free appropriate public education for your child with an IEP designed to meet your child’s unique needs, which may include, but not limited to, special education and related services, such as assistive technology devices and services; transportation; speech pathology services; audiology services; interpreting services; psychological services, including behavioral interventions; physical therapy; occupational therapy; recreation, including therapeutic recreation; counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling; orientation and mobility services; school health services; school nurse services; social work services; parent counseling and training; and, medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes.
11. Audio record any meeting under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
This document does not confer any right or rights beyond those conferred by federal or state law and is intended for informational purposes only. For additional information, contact the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education at 573-751-0699 or webreplyspeco@dese.mo.us.
January 1, 2010, rev. December 29, 2021
