Parent Resources
Seeking Help for Your Child
How Parents / Guardians Can Seek Help for Their Child
If parents / guardians believe their child needs special education services, they should first contact their child's teacher. He or she may refer the child to the building level problem solving team. The team will suggest strategies for the teacher. In the event that the suggested and tried strategies are not enough for the student's needs, the team may refer the student for a special education evaluation.Typically, a referral for a special education evaluation is made after the data collected by the problem-solving team has determined, with input from the parents/guardians, that research-based strategies and interventions attempted over a period of time have not been successful.However, on a few occasions the parent or someone other than school district personnel initiates a written request for special education evaluation. This request may or may not be initiated with input from the building staff.When a written request for a special education evaluation is received from someone other than school district personnel, the principal should contact the special education administrator. The special education administrator will then provide direction on processing the request, deciding what action should be taken, and initiating the necessary procedures. The district has 14 days to act on a written request for evaluation.If a student does not qualify for an IEP under one of the 13 disability categories under IDEA, the student may still qualify for services under Section 504 if the student has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity, has a record of a physical or mental impairment, or is regarded as having a physical or mental impairment.If you have questions about special education programs, please contact us.Kathy Horath; KRHorath@dps61.org, Director of Special EducationTravis Friedrich; TFriedrich@dps61.org, Assistant Director of Special Education
Request Student Records
Parents, students, and/or legal guardians may request a copy of the student's special education records via phone or by completing the form below. You will be notified as soon as the records are available for pickup. Records may be picked up at the main Macon-Piatt Special Education District office, 620 E. Garfield Ave., Decatur, IL. Please allow up to 10 business days for your request to be processed.Important: A valid photo ID will be required in order to pick up copies of records.Please complete the following form and click Send
or you can contact Camiya Brown via email or phone.
Camiya Brown
MPSED Records Custodian
Phone: (217) 362-3055 Ext. 942002
Fax: (217) 362-3568
Documents For Parents
Be sure to visit the MPSED website's "Documents for Parents" page. Here, you will find a range of important resources available in PDF format for your convenience. These include MPSED documents, as well as those provided by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). We understand the significance of parent rights, so we have included information on PUNS (Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services) and ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience). Additionally, we offer comprehensive materials to help you navigate the world of special education in Illinois, such as "Understanding Special Education in Illinois" and the MPSED Behavioral Intervention Guidelines. Explore our collection of helpful resources to support your journey as a parent of a child with special education needs.
Disability Information
We have also selected the following sites which provide Disability Information Parents may find useful.
The following links are to outside websites which might benefit our families with disabilities.
Links to Outside Agencies
Here as some links to some Outside Agencies which you may find beneficial.
Some additional links to online documents
- Darkness To Light - 5 Steps To Protecting Our Children
- Not Forgotten Facebook page - Not Forgotten
The Autism Program - TAP
The Autism Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a program that offers support and training to both educators and families of those with Autism. It is a great resource for anyone looking for information. Check out their website at: https://theautismprogram.illinois.edu
Child Learning Sites
The following are some recommended Child Learning Sites to explore.
Reading Links
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Last updated: 8/4/2023