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Rochelle’s Special Education Tips
Have I Got a Deal For You
Have you ever been the subject of a high pressured sales pitch? One where the salesperson tells you that you have only one day to close the deal or you will lose out on a great opportunity to purchase a time share, a car, a spectacular beach condominium, or a house (without an inspection) in a super neighborhood. You know intellectually that you should wait as there is always another time share, car, condominium or house from which to choose, but there is something about the salesperson’s communication style that makes you want to sign on the dotted line today. You want whatever the salesperson is selling so badly that you lose your good sense and sign. Oh dear. The same sense of urgency can be imparted by advocates, parents, and attorneys in dealing with IEPs and the Prior Written Notices (PWNs). They may demand copies of these documents at the end of the meeting. Hold the wedding. These documents are too important to finalize without a thorough review by you and your colleagues. Particularly the PWN, in which you are expected to record every significant thing that happened at the IEP team meeting. The primary reason why you are asked for the PWN at the end of the meeting is to prevent you from thinking through what happened and making an accurate record. So when the request is made, state that you need an opportunity to review the documents for accuracy and that you will forward them when they are completed. Statements such as “why are you doing this now, you never made us wait before,” or “I have a right to my child’s records” should be responded to by repeating the above statement.
