How to Get Needed Methodology, in Your Child’s IEP

Are you the parent of a young child with autism , that thinks that

they need applied behavioral analysis (ABA) treatment, through your

school district? Are you the parent of a child with dyslexia, who

feels that your child needs an Orton-Gillingham based reading program?

This article will discuss how to get methodology in your child's IEP.

Once you know how to get the methodology, then it is your job to fight

for your child's education.



Methodology means what curriculum or what program, special education

personnel, are going to use to teach your child. Many school districts

continue to state, falsely, that parents have no right to tell them

what methodology to use.



If your school district is using a reading program that is working for

your child, you will probably not be able to get them to switch to

another methodology. But, if the curriculum the school district is

using, is not teaching your child, then your chances of getting an

appropriate methodology is high. If you are willing to stand up to

special education personnel, and fight for your child's education.



The Office of Special Education Programs which is part of the

Department of Education put in the Federal Register on Monday August

14, 2006 on Page 466665 "The Departments longstanding position on

including instructional methodologies in a child's IEP is that it is

an IEP Team's decision. Therefore if an IEP team determines that

specific instructional methods are necessary for the child to receive

a FAPE (free appropriate public education), the instructional methods

may be addressed in the IEP."



What this means is that it is your job to bring it up at an IEP

meeting, if you think that your child's education needs a certain

methodology. If your child needs this methodology in order to receive

a free appropriate public education, then it can be placed on your

child's IEP. If the school district refuses to even consider the

methodology that you feel your child needs, then this is a violation

or your child's rights. You have the right to file for a due process

hearing, to prove that your child needs a certain methodology.



In some cases, parent's have taken their child for an independent

educational evaluation (IEE), and it is the evaluator's recommendation

for a certain methodology. Having an independent evaluator, state

that your child needs a certain methodology, will increase your

chances of winning at due process.



A recent District Court ruling in the KL vs Mercer Island School

district found that "The methodology used by teachers, must be

discussed at the IEP meeting, and placed in the child's IEP,"



Another item that may help your fight is the fact that No Child Left

Behind requires that school districts receiving Title I money: Use

Scientifically based research to teach children. What this means is

that the educational program has been proven to help children learn.

Many school districts use out dated curriculum that do not work.



I would use the KL vs Mercer Island ruling, the OSEP Federal Register

comments, and No Child Left Behind, to help you in your fight for

particular curriculum or program. Remember, what is important is that

your child needs the methodology in order to receive a free

appropriate public education (FAPE).