Under the LAW, all students are entitled to the special education and related services individually designed in their IEP to meet their unique needs. COVID doesn’t change that. Both the U.S. Department of Education and Massachusetts have strongly urged school districts to provide as much in-person services to students with disabilities as possible - even where school districts are practicing remote learning.
School districts, however, have stated that due to health and safety considerations, they will decide HOW those services are to be delivered. It varies across the state.
If you are told in-person services are not available for your child, ask the school why. Is it something that no other students are receiving? Does your chid not qualify as “high needs”? Can something be worked out creatively? Remember, an IEP is an INDIVIDUALIZED Education Plan. Your child should be considered individually and the way that his/her services are delivered during remote learning should be determined on an individual basis.
This does not have to be an adversarial conversation. Think of it as problem-solving together. Simply ask,
“How can you deliver my child’s services so that she can make effective progress toward reaching her goals?”
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