When You Disagree With Your Child’s IEP: Your Options

It is common, and allowed, to disagree with part or all of an IEP. Federal law gives you specific, structured ways to address a disagreement, and disagreeing does not mean the relationship with your child’s school has to become adversarial.

You don’t have to accept an IEP as written

When you attend an IEP meeting, you will typically be asked to indicate whether you fully agree, partially agree, or disagree with the plan. If you partially agree or disagree, you can write your specific concerns directly on the IEP form or in an attached letter, sometimes called a parent addendum. This creates a record of your concerns even if the IEP moves forward, and it matters later if you need to revisit the plan.

You are also not required to sign consent for services at the meeting itself. You can take the IEP home to review before deciding.

Your options, from least to most formal

Request another IEP meeting. You can call a meeting at any time, not just at the annual review. Sometimes a dedicated conversation, outside the time pressure of a first meeting, resolves a disagreement directly.

Request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). If you disagree with the school’s evaluation of your child, you can request, in writing, an evaluation by a qualified professional outside the school system. The school must either agree to fund it or file for a due process hearing to explain why it believes the evaluation is unnecessary. The IEP team must consider the results of an IEE, even if they are not required to follow its recommendations.

Request mediation. Mediation is free, voluntary, and confidential. You and the school sit down with a neutral, trained mediator who helps both sides work toward an agreement. Either side can stop the process at any point. If you reach an agreement, it becomes legally binding.

File a state complaint. If you believe the school has violated a specific requirement of special education law, you can file a written complaint with your state’s department of education.

Request a due process hearing. This is the most formal option: a hearing before an impartial hearing officer, who reviews evidence from both sides and issues a binding decision. In Pennsylvania, a due process complaint generally must be filed within two years of when you knew, or should have known, about the disagreement.

What stays in place while you sort it out

While a dispute is being resolved, your child generally stays in their “current educational placement,” meaning the placement they were in before the disputed change. This is sometimes called “pendency,” and it is one of the more important protections to understand if a proposed change concerns you.

A note on the Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP)

In Pennsylvania specifically, when a school proposes to change or maintain your child’s placement, you will receive a NOREP. If you disagree with what it proposes, you generally need to indicate that disagreement within 10 calendar days of receiving it, or the proposed change can move forward. Mark your calendar the day you receive one.

You do not have to do this alone

Parent Training and Information Centers exist specifically to help families understand and navigate this process, often at no cost. In Pennsylvania, the Education Law Center also operates a helpline for special education questions. Bringing a trusted advocate, or even a knowledgeable friend, to a meeting is allowed and can ease the pressure of navigating this by yourself.

Key words to know

IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation): An evaluation by a qualified professional outside the school system, which you can request if you disagree with the school’s evaluation.

Mediation: A free, voluntary process where a neutral third party helps you and the school reach an agreement.

Due process hearing: A formal hearing before an impartial officer who issues a binding decision on a special education dispute.

NOREP (Notice of Recommended Educational Placement): Pennsylvania’s required written notice when a school proposes a change to your child’s placement or services.

Pendency: Your child’s right to remain in their current placement while a dispute is being resolved.