Special education children in Pennsylvania should receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The LRE should allow the student to be educated as much as possible with non-disabled peers. The LRE depends upon each child and his needs. For some the LRE will be the regular classroom full-time with some accommodations and modifications. For other the LRE may be a full-time self-contained classroom where the child can get individualized instruction much of the time. Sometimes parents and school personnel may disagree about a child's LRE and in that case the parent can use Due Process steps to challenge the school's decisions.
When parents elect to send a child who qualifies for special education to a private school, the child's local school district must still provide services for that child. However, the services may only be offered at the public school location so the child may need to be transported to the local school. In some cases, services may be provided at the private school. In very rare cases, the school may even pay for the private school tuition if a parent can prove that only the private school can offer the child an appropriate education.
Every child with a special education ruling must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP must include details about services and supports that will be provided for the child, the education placement of the child and supplementary aids or assistive technology that will be provided for the child. Those children aged 14 an older should also have a transition plan the addresses training and employment goals for the future.
Due process allows parents to lodge complaints against school districts who have violated regulations set forth by IDEA and IDEIA. The first step in Due Process requires that parents write a detailed letter explaining how the school district has violated IDEA regulations. The letter should be sent to both the local school district and to the state department of education. Initially, a mediator will attempt to resolve the problem; if medication fails, a court may hear the complaint.