Special Education and Regional Center Blog

Attention all Regional Center parents and consumers are you receiving all available services from the Regional Center? First, it is your right to receive all needed services that are identified in your IPP. Second, Self Determination is coming and it is important to maximize your budget. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities Los Angeles Office put together a trifold pamphlet to assist consumers. See https://scdd.ca.gov/. I have copied and pasted from their 3 to 18 pamphlet here:

This website from the California Department of Education (https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/qa/pssummary.asp) is a great summary of Procedural Safeguards for students with disabilities receiving special education. This page is so good in deserves its own blog post. Consider printing this page to have available at your IEP. Highlights from the page are repeated below with my comments italicized.

Parents and students over age eighteen have the right:

1. Review your IEP.

Read over your entire IEP. Does the IEP address your child’s current issues? Do the assessments still sound accurate? Review the services that your child is receiving. Are they enough services? Is your child spending too much time out of the classroom? Does your child have access to general education peers?

Sometimes we, as parents don’t have our child’s complete educational record. Sometimes the school has not given us copies of the records. Prior to an IEP, when consulting with an attorney or advocate, or really at any time, parents can request their child’s educational records. It is an important parental educational right.

Beginning January 1, 2018, there will no longer be a cap on Regional Center respite services.

Background Information:

What is Respite?

Respite is a service that allows parents and guardians who care for a child or adult with a developmental disability to receive assistance in providing care.