By DR. CHERYL GUY

Decatur County Schools

Parent Involvement Coordinator

Parents of children with disabilities, from 3 years of age through age 21, have specific rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. These rights are sometimes called procedural safeguards. Individuals serving as surrogate parents and students aged 18 or over receiving special education services also are entitled to these procedural safeguards, known as the “Notice of Procedural Safeguards.”

One parental right contained in the Notice of Procedural Safeguards is “To Consent.”  The parent must sign an agreement before the child is assessed or provided with any special education services. The parent must also provide consent before any change in special education placement occurs. In addition, the parent must provide consent in most situations before the school releases information about the child to others.

To learn more about the right “To Consent” and other parental rights, we invite you to attend a presentation that will include an in depth review of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards.  This review will also include time for parents’ questions, which will be addressed by DCBOE Director of Special Education, Catherine Gossett, and Assistant Director, Jennifer Wilkinson.

The workshop will be Monday, Dec. 5, at 5:30 p.m. at the DCBOE Support Center, located at 507 Martin St. in Bainbridge.