DMV parents don’t need more opinions — they need clarity. The COPAA Conference equips families with the legal insight, documentation strategy, and advocacy tools necessary to navigate IEPs and 504 plans effectively.

Disability-related absences and tardies are not attendance problems — they are access issues. When schools fail to properly document these patterns, families are often blamed, services are delayed, and legal protections quietly erode.

This post explains why consistent documentation matters, how it connects to IEP and 504 protections, and what families must do to protect themselves when attendance is impacted by disability, medical needs, or school-based failures.

For too long, parents have been walking into IEP meetings by themselves — overwhelmed, unheard, and outnumbered. Schools bring teams of administrators, specialists, and lawyers. Parents bring… themselves.

That ends now.

Parents don’t lose IEP meetings because we don’t care. We lose because the system counts on us showing up without receipts.

An IEP isn’t about how nice your child’s teacher is or how many times you’ve emailed the principal. It’s about data, documentation, and demands. That’s how you make the law work for your child.

When you’re navigating the IEP process, information is power — and no one equips parents with better tools than Wrightslaw. Their books break down special education law in plain English and give you strategies you can use at the IEP table tomorrow.

Here are the four Wrightslaw books I recommend to every parent I work with, and why they deserve a spot on your shelf.

If your child struggles in school, one of the first questions you’ll face is:
“Does my child qualify for special education under IDEA?”

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines 13 categories of eligibility for students ages 3–21. But the process isn’t simple:

• Schools often misinterpret or misuse the definitions to deny services.

• Some states (like Iowa) impose additional exclusions or tests not in federal law.

• Many parents aren’t told they can list multiple disabilities (primary and secondary) to ensure full support.

Here’s everything you need to know, with references to federal law and state rules, plus language to use when schools try to block you.

If your child is struggling in school—academically, behaviorally, or socially—you’ve probably heard the terms IEP and 504 Plan.
But most parents, especially in our communities, are never told how these systems really work—or how schools use our lack of knowledge to cut services, delay help, or deny our children what they’re entitled to by law.

This guide will break it down in plain language:

• What an IEP or 504 Plan is (and why your child might need one)

• How to get one (even when the school stalls)

• What to do once you have one—from day one through high school graduation

• What your procedural safeguards really mean (and why you must read them)

• How to document, escalate, and fight back when the school refuses to follow your child’s plan

• And a step-by-step checklist so you can take action immediately

Step 1: Before Escalation – Gather Your Evidence

Make sure you have the following in one folder (digital or binder):

• Copies of your child’s current IEP or 504 Plan (and all past versions)

• All evaluation reports (school and independent)

• Progress reports and service logs (speech, OT, PT, academic supports)

• Emails and meeting notes (documenting requests, refusals, and responses)

• Any Prior Written Notices (PWN) the school has issued—or proof they failed to provide one (34 C.F.R. §300.503 requires it)

• Behavioral data (incident reports, suspension letters, behavior plans)

• Your log of missed services or noncompliance (dates, times, staff)

For far too many children—especially Black and Brown students—the path from the classroom leads not to college or careers, but to courtrooms and incarceration.
This is called the School-to-Prison Pipeline, and if your child has an IEP or should have one, they’re at even greater risk.

Why?
Because when schools deny evaluations, ignore data, fail to provide appropriate learning, and keep parents in the dark, our kids don’t just fall behind—they’re punished for struggling, suspended, expelled, and often funneled into the juvenile justice system.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

When you and your school disagree about your child’s special education services, mediation offers a powerful tool to resolve conflicts without costly litigation. In Maryland, multiple avenues—community mediation centers and the state’s dispute resolution system—can guide you to fair, informed, and legally supported agreements.

What is PWN (and Why Does It Matter)?

If you’ve ever left an IEP meeting feeling unclear about why a decision was made — whether a service was added, changed, or denied — you’re not alone.

That’s where Prior Written Notice (PWN) comes in. PWN is a formal, written explanation from your school district about any decision regarding your child’s identification, evaluation, placement, or services.

It isn’t just paperwork — it’s a tool that ensures:

• You understand why a decision was made

• You see the data and reasoning behind it

• You know what other options were considered