Definitions

Free Appropriate Public Education: District must offer FAPE to children with disabilities at no cost to the Parents.FAPE includes appropriate placement, assessments, and services.

Office of Administartive Hearings: OAH provides the judges and mediators in special education cases. They are a neutral governmental agency.

Systematic method of obtaining information from tests, observations and document review used to determine a child’s eligibility for special education, identify a child’s strengths, weaknesses, and needs including placement. Assessments include but are not limited to psycho-educational, speech and language, assistive technology, occupational therapy, mental health, physical therapy, executive functioning, processing, etc.

Non-Public School: A non-public school is certified by the State of California which allows school districts to pay the NPS directly.

A service provider certified by the State of California. District may contract directly with NPAs. NPAs include occupational therapists, tutors, speech and language therapists, etc.

Upon filing a request for due process, the District may convene a resolution session within 15 days of the filing of the due process request. If District refuses to waive the resolution session, Parents must attend the session. The District shall not have an attorney present unless Parents are accompanied by an attorney.

A meeting with the Parent, Parent’s attorney, District personnel, District’s attorney, and the mediator assigned by OAH. Typically, mediations are scheduled from 9:30 to 4:30 and are convened at the District’s office. Most cases settle during mediation.

The hearing is the trial. The judge will render a judgment following the Hearing.

The formal agreement between the Parent and his/her attorney that allows the attorney to represent the child.