Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Guidance During COVID-19

 The US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Office of Special Education Programs (kudos if you’re still with us after all that) has issued a question and answer document aimed at providing guidance for interpreting the IDEA’s dispute resolution procedures during the current COVID-19 circumstances.

Here are the top areas covered:

1. Dispute resolution between parents and education agencies while buildings are closed

2. State education agency’s power to extend the 60-day period for resolving State complaints

3. IDEA mediation procedures while school facilities are closed and face-to-face meetings not feasible or not possible

4. Agreements between parents and local education agencies (LEA) to extend the complaint resolution process

5. Holding virtual meetings between parents and the LEA

6. Virtual due process hearings

7. Authority of hearing officers and reviewing officers to extend timelines for issuing due process complaint decisions

For more information, feel free to view the entire document as a PDF, or read the screen shots posted below.