Your Child's Services Were Removed or Reduced
Schools cannot unilaterally cut the services your child depends on. If they did, the law gives you the right to fight back.
What's Happening
Your child was receiving special education services — speech therapy, occupational therapy, a dedicated aide, resource room time, or other supports — and the school has reduced or eliminated them. Maybe they told you your child "no longer needs" the service, or they quietly stopped providing it. Perhaps they changed the IEP at a meeting where you felt pressured to agree. Whatever the circumstances, losing services can cause your child to regress academically, socially, and emotionally.
Your Child's Rights
- ✓ The school cannot reduce or remove IEP services without convening the full IEP team — and parents are required members of that team. A decision made without you may be invalid.
- ✓ Any change to services must be supported by current data — evaluations, progress monitoring, and classroom performance. The school can't reduce services based on budget concerns or staffing shortages.
- ✓ The school must provide Prior Written Notice (PWN) before making any changes to your child's IEP services. This notice must explain what is being changed, why, and what evidence supports the change.
- ✓ Under IDEA's "stay-put" provision, if you file for due process to challenge service changes, the school may be prevented from implementing those changes while the case is pending. If you suspect services are about to be reduced, filing within 30 days is critical to preserving this protection.
- ✓ If services were improperly removed, your child may be entitled to compensatory services to make up for the educational harm caused by the gap in support.
How LegalAction Helps
Service Reduction Analysis
We review the IEP history, meeting notes, and data to determine whether the reduction was legally justified or a procedural violation.
Stay-Put Enforcement
When we file for due process challenging service reductions, we invoke the stay-put provision to prevent the DOE from implementing those changes while the case is pending.
Compensatory Education Claims
We pursue compensatory services for every hour of support your child lost due to the school's improper actions.
Learn More
Don't Wait — Your Child's Education Is at Stake
Service reductions cause real harm. The longer your child goes without proper support, the harder it is to recover lost ground. We can help you restore services and hold the district accountable.
