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Special Considerations for Pennsylvania Families Regarding Dispute Resolution in Early Intervention
Last updated on Aug 12, 2020 in CAR Autism Roadmap™
In Pennsylvania, the Parent Rights Agreement (PRA) provides a place for parents to express their dissatisfaction with an evaluation or with the content of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). By using the PRA, parents can approve the entire IFSP as developed, can request another meeting to continue to discuss the IFSP, can request a delay of service delivery, or can specify that only a portion of the services begin while disagreements related to other services are resolved. The parents can also indicate that they do not believe that the IFSP provides a sufficient quantity of a particular service or can choose to refuse all services for the child.
On the bottom of the PRA, parents can check a box indicating how they would like to try to resolve any disagreements. On the form, they may elect: (1) to meet with the county administrator responsible for the Early Intervention (EI) program; (2) mediation; or (3) a due process hearing. Of course, Pennsylvania families may also file a state complaint (a right conveyed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and can also request a meeting at any time with their Service Coordinator.
If parents request a County Administrator Meeting, they will meet with someone in charge of their EI program. The meeting must be held within seven calendar days after a written request is made. When mediation or a Due Process Hearing is requested, the EI agency must contact the Pennsylvania Office for Dispute Resolution. Mediation must occur within 10 calendar days of the parents' request, and a Due Process Hearing must be completed within 30 calendar days after it is requested. Taking part in mediation does not prevent a parent from using other methods, such as a Due Process Hearing to resolve a dispute. Mediation can occur before or at any point during a Due Process Hearing.
Any change that results from dispute resolution procedures should be documented in your child's IFSP. If you have questions about dispute resolution in Pennsylvania, contact the Office of Dispute Resolution at 1-800-222-3353.
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The Center for Autism Research and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia do not endorse or recommend any specific person or organization or form of treatment. The information included within the CAR Autism Roadmap™ and CAR Resource Directory™ should not be considered medical advice and should serve only as a guide to resources publicly and privately available. Choosing a treatment, course of action, and/or a resource is a personal decision, which should take into account each individual's and family's particular circumstances.