Meeting Preparation

Next Steps

Contact CASE — (415) 431-2285 for a free consultation
Schedule pediatrician appointment — Get a support letter (see below)
Start behavior logging — Document incidents at home

Documentation to Bring

Autism diagnosis documentation
Pediatrician's support letter
Your home behavior log
Any videos of concerning behaviors or communication struggles
Copies of all emails with school staff
Notes from any verbal conversations (send confirmation emails after calls)

Request These from the School

Submit written requests for these assessments:

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)¹IDEA requires IEP teams to "consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports" for children whose behavior impedes learning. See Key Laws Explained — Critical for justifying 1:1 support
Speech and language assessment — Including pragmatic/social communication
Occupational therapy assessment
Psychoeducational assessment

You have the right to request assessment in all areas of suspected disability.²34 CFR § 300.304(c)(4): Child must be assessed in all areas of suspected disability. See Key Laws Explained

Also request:

Prior Written Notice explaining why school offered 504 instead of IEP³Schools must provide Prior Written Notice when refusing parent requests. See Key Laws Explained
All evaluation reports — request these in writing well before the meeting
Complete educational records (California requires delivery within 5 business days)⁴California Education Code § 56504. See Key Laws Explained

What to Get from Pediatrician

Request a letter that includes:

Official autism diagnosis with DSM-5 criteria (code F84.0)
Functional impact statement: How autism affects communication, behavior regulation, ability to follow classroom routines
Medical necessity statement for 1:1 support

If elopement/wandering is a concern, ask for code Z91.83 (Wandering in Diseases Classified Elsewhere)—this strengthens safety-based arguments.⁵ICD-10 code Z91.83 can be used for safety planning in schools. NAA IEP Toolkit

Sample language from the NAA IEP Toolkit:⁶Physician Letter Sample from the National Autism Association IEP Toolkit, p. 10. NAA IEP Toolkit (PDF)

"It is for these reasons, and [child's] history of elopement, that [child] now has a medical diagnosis of Wandering In Diseases Classified Elsewhere (ICD-10 Z91.83). To ensure [child's] safety, it is medically necessary that [child] have close and constant adult supervision at all times, and that proper safeguards are in place."

Home Behavior Log (ABC Format)

Recommended template: Vanderbilt Kennedy Center ABC Chart (PDF) — Fillable form with a completed example included. Has a column for pre-existing conditions (sleep, health, stress) which provides important context.

Document incidents using this format:⁷ABC Data: Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence framework for behavior analysis. Indiana University IRCA

Date/time
Antecedent — What happened right before
Behavior — Exactly what occurred
Consequence — What happened after
Duration — How long it lasted

Document: communication challenges, social difficulties, meltdown frequency and duration, transition difficulties, sensory sensitivities, elopement attempts.⁸TACA guidance on documenting behaviors for school. TACA: Managing Behavior at School

Frame observations in educational terms. From the NAA IEP Toolkit:⁹IEP Letter Sample from the National Autism Association IEP Toolkit, p. 9. NAA IEP Toolkit (PDF)

"If given the opportunity, [child] will wander from safe environments. [Child's] wandering tendencies include goal-directed elopement, which means [child] will seek out items of interest, specifically roads and bodies of water."

Video documentation of concerning behaviors or communication struggles can be compelling evidence.¹⁰"Any videos of meltdowns or communication struggles" listed as documentation to bring. NAA IEP Toolkit, p. 3. NAA IEP Toolkit (PDF)

Your Rights at the Meeting

Who can attend: You can bring anyone with knowledge or special expertise—advocate, friend, Regional Center case manager, attorney. You (not the school) determine whether your guests have relevant expertise.¹¹34 CFR § 300.321(a)(6) and (c): Parents determine who has relevant expertise. See Key Laws Explained

Recording: You can audio record IEP meetings with 24 hours written notice.¹²California Education Code § 56341.1(g)(1). See Key Laws Explained Send an email beforehand: "I will be audio recording the IEP meeting pursuant to Cal. Educ. Code § 56341.1."

Do not sign anything at the meeting. Take documents home to review first.

What to Say

Sample language for written evaluation request from DREDF:¹³Sample letter from Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. DREDF Sample Letter

"I am making a parent referral for assessment for special education services as allowed under the Child Find obligations of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and California Education Code Secs. 56029, 56301, 56302, and 56321(a). I am requesting that my child be given a comprehensive assessment by the school district in all areas of suspected disability."

Key phrases from official sources:

"Specially designed instruction" — the legal definition of special education, distinct from accommodations¹⁴IDEA defines special education as "specially designed instruction." See Key Laws Explained
"Adversely affects educational performance" — the eligibility standard, which courts have held includes social skills and behavior, not just academics¹⁵ASHA: "Educational performance is not limited to academic performance." See Key Laws Explained
"Child Find" — the federal requirement that schools identify all children who may have disabilities¹⁶Child Find: Districts must identify all children with disabilities. See Key Laws Explained

Next: School Options →