Parent Resources

Raising Special Kids provides many parent training activities for a “one-stop shop” for parents to increase their knowledge and skills for participation and decision-making in special education.

The resources at Raising Special Kids include:

• State-wide parent information and training on various topics to assist parents in:
• Understanding the special education process
• Working with professionals to understand and support their child
• Learning advocacy skills to appropriately participate in meetings
• Special Education resource documents on a variety of topics
• Local, regional, and national disability resource directory
• Access to a DVD lending library featuring special education and disability topics
• Regional support teams in Northern Arizona, Central Arizona, Southern Arizona
• A toll-free help line (888.877.5910) for parents staffed by trained and knowledgeable specialists
• All information, training and support provided in English and in Spanish: raisingspecialkids.org

Parent Rights / Procedural Safeguards

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law concerning the education of students with disabilities, requires schools to provide parents of a child with a disability with a notice containing a full explanation of the procedural safeguards available under the IDEA and U.S. Department of Education regulations.

Since July 1, 2005, provision of procedural safeguards to parents are required one time per school year. In addition to the once a year requirement, they must be given to a parent:
• upon initial referral for evaluation;
• on the date the decision is made to make a removal that constitutes a disciplinary change of placement;
• upon parental request for an additional copy;
• and, upon the first occurrence of the filing of a due process hearing request or child complaint.

Procedural Safeguards provide parents with information on various aspects of special education so they can make informed decisions about their child’s educational services.