How to initiate services for your child in PG county Public Schools

[Anonymous]

We are coming from private school and will attend public school next year. My daughter recently had an evaluation and the doctor recommended occupational therapy. Do i initiate the process at the school first or with the special education team downtown in the special education office. If the evaluation is from Children Hospital is another evaluation needed from the school system? What documentation or paperwork is needed to start the process.

[Anonymous]

You will need to initiate the process with the school first. Contact the school's "Professional School Counselor" and they will point you in the right direction. In my experience you will not need another evaluation but they may have the occupational therapist observed the student to be prepared for the meeting. I would suggest requesting in writing either via certified letter or email a request to have a meeting to see if your child is eligible to receive Special Education IEP or 504 Services. Of course your child will likely be eligible for one of them but it has to be worded that way in order to kick in the clock, they have a certain number of days to respond and schedule the meeting from the time you make your request. In your letter you can describe the type of documentation you already have. They will schedule a meeting with you and a team of people to review the documentation and also to decide if additional testing is necessary. They will then begin the process and tell you what forms are necessary. At some point they will give you the Safeguard Procedures pamphlet which more explicitly outlines the process.

[Anonymous]

Move to Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Move to Montgomery County.