My child is a preschooler with an IEP…

My child is in K-12th grade and has an IEP for a District 1-32 school…

My child has an IEP that recommends a D75 program

If your child needs a District 75 (“D75”) program and you don’t have a placement, email D75Placement@schools.nyc.gov or call (718) 935-2009 and ask for D75 Placement assistance within your borough.  For more information about D75 visit bit.ly/specialedD75 or call (718) 935-2009. 

My child was not in a New York City Public School last year and has an IEP from somewhere else

If you’ve just moved to NYC and your child had an IEP from outside NYC, the DOE should create a comparable services plan (CSP) based on your child’s IEP and have an IEP meeting as soon as possible to create a NYC- based IEP. It’s helpful to give the DOE a copy of your child’s last IEP and any recent evaluations.

If your child is in preschool, contact the CPSE. If they are in K-12, contact your Family Welcome Center. You can also try reaching out to your zoned school if you have one

First, be sure you’re familiar with the special education classroom options in the NYC Public Schools.  For information about settings in District 1-32 schools, see bit.ly/specialedD132.  Find more information about options in District 75 on the DOE’s website.  

If the school you were offered says they don’t have the program on your child’s IEP, talk to staff. You should not agree to changes to the IEP unless you think they make sense for your child. If you can’t work it out with the school, write immediately to Specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov.  The Office of Special Education should work with the school to create the program or offer a different school. Your child has a right to attend a school that has the program on your child’s IEP on the first day of school.  In the alternative, if you’d prefer to transfer to a more welcoming school at this point, it’s best to reach out directly to the Office of Student Enrollment. 

If your child has a self-contained special class on their IEP (not general ed or ICT), and you don’t get an offer for a school that can provide that, you may qualify for a voucher called a “P1” letter (or a “Nickerson”). A P1 is a voucher for one year of tuition in a state-approved private school that can provide the program on your child’s IEP. You have to find the school yourself from the list of state approved schools and your child has to be accepted. P1s expire, so check the date! 

The DOE has specialized programs that serve some students with autism or intellectual disabilities, students who need additional reading supports, students who benefit from intensive social, emotional, and behavioral supports, and students who need bilingual special education services.  Find more information on these specialized programs on the DOE’s website.   

If your child has already been evaluated for one of the specialized programs, but doesn’t yet have an offer to one, or you are interested in learning more about the options, contact the DOE’s specialized programs team by emailing specializedprograms@schools.nyc.gov.  If your child hasn’t yet been evaluated, but you’d like them to be, speak to the IEP team at your school.  

Charter schools must serve students with IEPs and should work with the NYCPS to make sure students get the supports they need. Call the Office of School Design and Charter Partnerships at (212) 374-5419 or file a complaint online.  

Your child has a right to get all the services on their IEP. You can find out who your child’s related service and SETSS providers are on your child’s NYCSA account (schoolsaccount.nyc) or ask the school. Make sure the schedule for services works for your child. If you need help you can email RelatedServices@schools.nyc.gov. 

If your child is in K-12th grade in a public school and is not receiving all their related services or SETSS, the NYCPS should give you a Related Services Authorization (RSA) or a “P3” for SETSS. With that, you can go to an independent (not DOE) provider for related services or SETSS at a rate agreed to by the DOE. You’ll receive the voucher from the DOE and then be asked to look for a provider yourself from a list the DOE will provide.  

We suggest you keep a list of who you called, whether you were able to reach them and what they said.  Then, if you can’t find someone to take the DOE’s voucher or you find someone who will take it at a higher rate, contact the DOE’s Special Education Hotline or email RelatedServices@schools.nyc.gov to ask for more help. 

If your preschool child is not getting the related services listed on their preschool IEP, contact your Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) administrator. If the CPSE can’t help find a provider, call the DOE’s Special Education Hotline 718-935-2007 or email RelatedServices@schools.nyc.gov. 

Assistive Technology (AT) is any device or support for using that device that helps a student with a disability learn.  It is the responsibility of the NYCPS to provide the AT device and supports on a student’s IEP at no cost. If AT is already on your student’s IEP, but not being provided, reach out to the Office of Special Education.  

If you believe that your child could benefit from AT, ask for an AT evaluation at your school or your CPSE or CSE.  Find more information about AT on the DOE’s website.

If your child needs nursing services, have their doctor fill out and return all DOE medical forms before the start of each school year or anytime there’s a change in your student’s medical needs at school or on the bus to and from school. Your child’s doctor should fill out the Medical Accommodations Request Form (MARF) form for transportation and school medical needs. Once services are approved, it’s very important that the IEP be changed to reflect those needs and services. 

If your child requires a 1:1 nurse at school or on the bus, the doctor should state that on every form, even when the form does not ask for this information. We also recommend that your child’s doctor submit a separate letter detailing your child’s medical and nursing needs. 

Other forms that need to be submitted every year or if something changes include: 

• HIPAA form (parent must sign and return every year)
• Medication Administration Forms (MAF):
  • Allergies/Anaphylaxis MAF
  • Asthma MAF
  • Diabetes MAF for providers/parents with visual impairment
  • Seizure MAF
  • General MAF (all other medications)
• Request for Medically Prescribed Treatment (non-medication)
• Request for Health Services/Section 504 Accommodations Parent Form

These forms are available on the DOE’s website 

Call the school’s principal or parent coordinator to discuss. If that doesn’t help, reach out to the DOE’s Special Education Hotline 718-935-2007, or write to accessibility@schools.nyc.gov. 

You can find a list of accessible sites on the DOE’s website, with Building Accessibility Profiles (BAPs), which have a lot of detail about the accessibility of a school building.

The transportation section of your child’s IEP should include whatever your child needs, such as a small bus, special equipment, air conditioning, limited time travel, etc. If the IEP doesn’t include this, ask for an IEP amendment and send whatever documentation you have of your child’s needs. You can see what the current transportation recommendations are on your child’s NYCSA account (schoolsaccount.nyc) Depending on your child’s medical condition, the DOE may require extra forms to be filled out by your child’s doctor before the meeting (typically on a Medical Accommodations Request form or a MARF). 

At least a week before school, your child’s bus company and route number should be available on your child’s NYC Schools Account (NYCSA). If you don’t have an NYCSA, reach out to your child’s school or a Family Welcome Center to register for one or visit schoolsaccount.nyc. 

If there is no information on NYCSA about transportation the week before school starts, call your school’s Transportation Coordinator who should reach out to their OPT Transportation Liaison for further support.  The bus company should call you a few days before school to tell you when your child will be picked up. If your child has limited travel time on their IEP, but the route doesn’t provide that, call your child’s school; they are supposed to work with OPT to make sure everything gets put into place.

If there is a bus route listed, but you haven’t heard from the bus company yet, call the bus company and ask about the pick-up time and confirm that they can meet your child’s transportation needs. Their number should be listed on your child’s NYCSA account. 

If there is an issue with the bus, you can call your child’s school and ask them to file a complaint and give you a complaint number, or you can call OPT yourself and ask for a complaint number. It’s important to call each day there is a problem and keep track of the complaint numbers. 

Although you don’t have to send your child to preschool or kindergarten, you have the right to send your child to a 3-K program that was offered, and to send your child to a pre-K and K program the year they turn 4 and 5 years of age. The DOE must provide an appropriate class and all the services on your child’s IEP. Your child has a right to receive special education services even if they are not enrolled in a public school.

Note: when you enroll your child, provide proof of immunization, proof of NYC residence, and the IEP (if you are new to New York). If you enrolling in the NYC school system for the first time, bring proof of age. Find a list of documents that the school will accept on the DOE’s website or call (718) 935-2009. If you do not have proof of immunization or age, your child should still be enrolled while the schools helps to get those documents. You do NOT need to show proof of immigration status.