My son is 6 and his IEP includes speech therapy twice a week. At the annual review yesterday, the team proposed cutting it to once a week because he's "made great progress." When I asked to see the data, the SLP had one paragraph of notes.
I left without agreeing to anything. Do they need my signature to make this change? What are my options if I say no? We're in the Northeast if that matters.
You did the right thing by not agreeing on the spot. Here's the landscape:
1) Any change to services must come through the IEP team, and you are an equal member of that team. They cannot quietly edit the document.
2) Ask, in writing, for the progress-monitoring data behind the recommendation. "Great progress" should mean data showing he's met his speech goals - not a feeling. If he met his goals, the right conversation is often NEW goals, not fewer services.
3) If the team still proposes the cut, they must give you Prior Written Notice (PWN) - a formal document explaining what they're changing, why, and what data they relied on. Always ask for PWN. Schools get noticeably more careful when everything has to be written down.
4) Whether your signature is required to implement a change varies by state - in many states the district can implement after PWN unless you formally dispute it. Your dispute options are mediation, a state complaint, or a due process hearing. The moment you file for due process, "stay put" kicks in: services continue at current levels until the dispute is resolved.
5) If you disagree with their assessment of his progress, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense.
Also: every state has a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center with free advocates who know your state's exact rules. Search "[your state] parent training and information center." They are wildly underused.
The magic words that worked for us: "Please show me the progress-monitoring data that supports this change, and please put the proposal in Prior Written Notice." The reduction quietly disappeared before the next meeting. Data requests are kryptonite for thin proposals.
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