"I've sat at over 500 IEP tables."
I'm Mary, a Special Education Advocate and the founder of The Advocate Ally. I created this special education resource because too many parents feel pressured to accept generic, "cookie-cutter" IEPs.
The guidance below is grounded in the same practical, document-based questions I raise in IEP meetings every day. Use it to ask for clearer, more individualized support for your child.
Mary
Founder, The Advocate Ally
What's Happening
The school is proposing to move your child out of the general education classroom into a self-contained special education class, resource room, or separate program.
Your Legal Rights
Under IDEA's Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) mandate, the school must first attempt supplementary aids and services in the general setting before removing a child.
- LRE requires education with non-disabled peers 'to the maximum extent appropriate.'
- The school must prove it has tried supplementary aids and services in gen ed before removing the child.
- You must consent to any change in placement.
- 'Stay Put' protects the current placement during any dispute.
What To Do Right Now
Ask: 'What supplementary aids and services have been tried in the general education classroom?'
If the answer is 'none' or 'just an aide,' the school hasn't met its obligation.
Request a prior written notice with data showing the gen ed setting has been exhausted.
Invoke 'Stay Put' if you disagree—the child remains in gen ed during the dispute.
Don't Go Into This Blind
Before you send a letter or file a complaint, start with the written IEP. The audit can flag documented gaps, weak language, and sections that may deserve a written question or closer professional review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are 'supplementary aids and services'?
Is a separate classroom ever appropriate?
What is the 'LRE continuum'?
Review the document before you escalate
Upload your IEP to identify written sections that may need clarification, correction, or professional review.
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