Obtaining Special Services by Maryann B. Hunsberger O ne would expect that school districts would have identified any students with disabilities by the teen years, but that isn't always the case. Furthermore, districts don't always provide special services even after identifying a student with disabilities.
Parents can purchase a small filing cabinet or plastic crate and folders in a business supply store.
Parents can write to the director of special services in their district and request a complete copy of their child's pupil record, including results of all child study team records, medical reports and related therapist reports. Once the parent receives these reports, they can begin building their case. However, a child's intelligence factors very little into whether he or she needs special services. What does factor into it is the difference between the child's abilities and his or her performance. Parents should look at the performance IQ score, since any discrepancy of more than 12 points suggests a learning disability.