Toward Active Partnership: Notice of Procedural Safeguards Designed for Parent Use

Procedural safeguards have been in place for years with the intention of protecting the rights of parents and their children with disabilities. Despite the promises of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, parents have not mastered the tools they need to be active participants in their child’s special education. Educators must inform parents of children with disabilities of their rights and responsibilities in documents that clearly communicate the expectation that parents can and will advocate for their children. Review of the documents currently used to inform parents of their rights, as well as relevant literature on the topic, indicated that parents are not empowered to give informed consent. This study sought to talk directly with parents of children with disabilities to explore whether a redesigned notice of procedural safeguards document is warranted and could support parents’ engagement in their child’s special education. Interview data collected demonstrated that parents of children with disabilities see a need for revised documents and need functional information from the schools. The implementation of rights notices that authentically inform parents could bring about a shift in the culture of special education and include all parents as active participants in their child’s special education