This document does not offer formal policy guidance from the Office of Special Education Programs at the United States Department of Education. Resolving Special Education Disputes Perhaps the best way to resolve a special education dispute is to prevent the development of the dispute in the first place.
Mediation can occur at any time and even more than once.
All decision-making in mediation is voluntary. The mediator has no decision-making authority. The mediator may share his or her suggestions for resolution as participants and the mediator agree. In all cases, parties retain their full substantive and due process rights under IDEA and other relevant laws. The mediator, an impartial and mutually acceptable helper, assists parents and schools to reach agreement with regard to the education of a child.