Parents Right to Know 

Parents' Rights Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Missouri Department of Education provides a webinar outlining parents' rights under IDEA.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act often referred to as IDEA is a federal law that requires schools to serve the educational needs of students with disabilities. Free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities is provided in all fifty states.

You can also find the updated Parents' Bill of Rights that follows at Missouri Department of Education here: 

Parents’ Bill of Rights

As a parent of a child with a disability, you have the right to:

1. Attend individualized education program (IEP) meetings and represent your child’s interests.

2. Have an advocate or expert present at IEP meetings.

3. Receive a copy of your child’s evaluation, disagree with it, and request one independent educational

   evaluation (IEE) at public expense.

4. Provide a written report from outside sources as part of the evaluation process.

5. Examine all education records pertaining to your child and be provided with a copy of the IEP.

6. Disagree with IEP team decisions and pursue dispute resolution procedures, including: requesting a facilitated

   IEP meeting, filing a child complaint with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, requesting

  state ‐ paid mediation, having an impartial due process hearing, and appealing the due process decision to the

  court.

7. Participate in reviews of the IEPs and in any decision to change any aspects of the IEP, as well as receive Prior

   Written Notice for a change in your child’s educational placement or the provision of a free and appropriate

   public education.

8. Have your child placed in the least restrictive environment and in a general education classroom to the

   greatest extent appropriate.

9. Request an accommodation to provide effective communications if you have limited English language

   proficiency.

10. A free appropriate public education for your child with an IEP designed to meet your child’s unique needs,

     which may include, but not limited to, special education and related services, such as assistive technology

     devices and services; transportation; speech pathology services; audiology services; interpreting services;

     psychological services, including behavioral interventions; physical therapy; occupational therapy; recreation,

     including therapeutic recreation; counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling; orientation and

     mobility services; school health services; school nurse services; social work services; parent counseling and

     training; and, medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes.

11. Audio record any meeting under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504

     of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.