Negotiation Skills For Parents:
How To Get The Special Education Your Child With Disabilities Needs

A publication of the Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS)
Spring 2002

The information provided in any OLRS publication is not a substitute for legal advice. You should consult with a lawyer concerning your rights in a specific case. Contact your local bar association or visit the Ohio State Bar Association Web site to find a lawyer in your area.

Contents

• Introduction
• Terms to Know
• Prepare to Negotiate
• Communicate Effectively
• Get Positive Results at Meetings
• Know What Makes Your Team Work
• Know When More Formal Action is Needed
• Negotiation Tips
• Resources

This booklet is protected by copyright under United States law and by international copyright laws and treaty provisions. You may copy and distribute the work provided that you use the work for personal, noncommercial use; do not add the work to a collection or use it with any other text, photographs, artwork, etc; do not modify or alter the work in any way or delete or modify any copyright; and do not publish or post all or any part of the work on any Internet site or in or on any other media without obtaining the prior written consent of Ohio Legal Rights Service.

Copyright © 2002 Ohio Legal Rights Service. All rights reserved.

About OLRS and Funding for This Publication

This publication was produced by the Ohio Legal Rights Service, 50 West Broad Street, Suite 1400, Columbus, Ohio 43215-5923. Telephone 614-466-7264/800-282-9181 TTY 614-728-2553/800-858-3542 Web site: http://olrs.ohio.gov

Ohio Legal Rights Service and this publication are funded in part by grants under the following federal laws:

• Developmental Disabilities Assistance (DD) Act, administered by the Administration for Children and Families;
• Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act (PAIMI), administered by the Center for Mental Health Services of the U.S. Department of Human Services; and the
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, administered by the Office of Education Services and the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education.

Ohio Legal Rights Service does not discriminate in provision of service or employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, military service, disability, or age.

• OLRS Publications
• Special Education for Children Ages 3-22