EDUCATIONAL HELPS ...
Planning a Move: Mapping Your Strategy
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A publication of the National Dissemination Center
for Children with Disabilities
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NICHCY Parent Guide 8 (PA8)
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1994, Resources Updated, 2002
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Approx. 13 pages when printed
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PDF version
Moving to a new location disrupts your life! For any
family this can be a time of chaos. There is the
adventure of newness but also a maddening confusion.
Everything and everyone is certainly somewhere, but
where? You have to find new grocery stores, new
roads, new schools and new doctors. You have to
unpack and reorganize your home and your daily
routine. You have to make new friends, meet new
neighbors and establish new systems of support and
help.
For a family with a child who has special needs, the
confusion can be particularly stressful. To avoid
some of the less desirable "adventures," it
may be a good idea to map out your strategy before
you move. This is especially important regarding
school and your child's special education needs.
Presented here are some questions you should ask
yourself, preferably well in advance of your move.
The answers given contain suggestions for helping
your family make a smooth change from your
child's present special education placement to
the new one. These suggestions were derived from
personal experience, contact with families who have
met the "challenge," advice from
administrators, and other authorities and research.
Q: Will the school in my new neighborhood offer
special education programs?
A: Yes. There are several federal laws which require
all schools to provide a free appropriate public
education to all children, regardless of handicapping
condition. The federal laws establish the minimum
requirements for each state to follow; the states
then develop their own education laws and
regulations. Different states may use different words
to describe certain disabilities or programs, they
may have differing eligibility requirements, they may
have different processes of evaluation and placement,
some states may offer programs not available in other
states, rural regions may have different systems for
providing special education than suburban or urban
areas, but they all offer the same basic services.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has its established
guidelines for providing educational services to
Indian children with disabilities. The federal laws
are the basic standards for all the states' and
Bureau of Indian Affairs' special education
policies. While some geographic areas may have a
wider variety of programs than others, they all must
meet the minimum requirements set by the federal
government.
Q: How can I learn more about these federal laws and
regulations?
A: You can get a free copy of NICHCY's News
Digest on federal laws important to the education of
children and youth with special needs. (Call NICHCY
to request a copy: 1-800-695-0285 or read about the
laws on our Web site.) You may be able to get books
and articles about legislation for people with
disabilities from your local public library, from
your local special education department, from your
school district's professional library, from
parent groups, and from disability groups. The
primary law concerned with education of children and
youth with disabilities is called the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. There is
also Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
which assures the civil rights of persons with
disabilities. For information about vocational
education, read about the Carl D. Perkins Act of
1984.
Q: How can I learn about the state laws and
regulations?
A: Each state publishes information about special
education in their state. You can contact the State
Department of Education, Special Education Division,
and request a copy of their policies and procedures.
If your child is an infant or toddler (ages birth to
2), you will need to contact the Part C Coordinator
or lead agency for early intervention programs. In
some states the Department of Education is also the
lead agency, but in other states it may be the
Department of Health or Human Resources. For
information on the address of the State Department of
Education, Part C Coordinator or the lead agency for
the state to which you will be moving, contact NICHCY
for a State Resource Sheet. (Call NICHCY at
1-800-695-0285 and tell us which state sheet(s) you
need, or print out the state sheet for your state
from our Web site.) The State Resource Sheet also
contains names and addresses of parent groups and
disability organizations in the state.
Q: When should I start this process?
A: The most important step is to start early. As soon
as you know or are seriously considering moving to a
new state, you can start to get ready. You may not
know which town or school district you will live in,
but as long as you know the state you can begin.
If you are moving to another location in the same
state, much of this information is still important.
Even within a state, different school districts may
vary in their policies and programs.
Q: What do I do first?
A: Check all your child's records. Is the
Individualized Education Program (IEP) or the
Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) current or
is another one due soon? If there should be a new
IEP/IFSP about the time you plan to move, request
that the new IEP/IFSP be written earlier to
facilitate your child's placement in the new
school. If you request the IEP/IFSP several months in
advance, your current school should not have a
problem moving the meeting up. You want to be sure to
schedule this meeting at least 6 weeks before you
will move, so there will be time to get the
information finalized and have copies of the new
IEP/IFSP signed and ready for the new school or early
intervention program.
Is a triennial due this year? If yes, again contact
your child's current school well in advance of
the move and request the triennial be COMPLETED at
least 6 weeks before your moving date. Again, this
will insure that you can get signed copies of the
review to take with you to the new school district.
Talk to your child's current teacher(s) and
therapists. Ask if they could write a letter of
introduction to the new teacher(s) and therapists
which describes your child, his strengths, areas of
weakness, and successful approaches to working with
him. The new teacher(s) and therapists will be able
to incorporate successful ideas into their programs
immediately. Again, be sure to make this request well
in advance of needing it, so the teachers and
therapists have plenty of time to do this.
Has your child had a physical this year? If not,
visit your current pediatrician and have this done at
least 6 weeks before you move. Be sure your child is
up to date on all vaccinations and regular "baby
shots" and that you have a complete record from
your pediatrician. If you use a clinic, public health
system or Indian Health Services for medical care, be
sure they have given you a complete record of your
child's shots and a copy of the current physical.
If your child is taking regular prescription medicine
or has prescriptions for any therapy, get copies of
these medical reports. Be sure you have at least a
one-month supply or more, if possible, of any
prescription medications before you move so you
won't have to find a new doctor, get an
appointment and need a new prescription in the middle
of all your other concerns. Make note of how long
this medication will last so you can allow yourself
time to schedule new appointments when you move. If
you know you will need to see a doctor very soon
after you move, try to make an appointment before you
move so that will be settled.
If your child is seeing any specialists, such as
neurologists, allergists or the like, also be sure
you get a complete set of medical records from these
physicians to take with you. Also contact your
child's dentist and take those records with you.
You may want to ask your current doctor(s) for
referrals to doctors or clinics in your new location.
When you tell your child's doctor you are moving,
ask for any information that may be helpful to the
new doctor you will be seeing. Ask if the new doctor
can call the current doctor if there are any
questions or topics that need to be discussed. If you
are interested in having your child's current
doctor continue to be part of the medical team,
discuss this option, too. You can keep the current
doctor informed by sending regular medical reports so
that he/she can consult with you and the new doctor
about your child's needs and progress.
Q: What else should I do?
At the state level.
A: At the same time you are checking and collecting
all your child's records, get a copy of the
"new" state's special education
guidelines and policies. You will want to pay special
attention to eligibility requirements to be sure you
have all the paperwork you need when you arrive. Be
sure to contact the new state as soon as you know you
will be moving; it may take 6 to 8 weeks to respond
to your request for information.
At the local educational level.
If you know which county you will be moving into,
request a copy of any information they have on
special education. Tell them you will be moving into
their county and that your child is currently
receiving special education services that you would
like to have continued in his/her new school. Tell
them the age of your child, the nature of his/her
disability (learning disabled, mentally retarded,
developmentally delayed, hearing impaired, etc.), and
the services he/she is currently receiving, including
any therapies or special transportation needs. Ask
for information on eligibility requirements for
similar services in their schools, and what records
they will need. Ask if it would be helpful to send
your child's records in advance and, if so, to
whom should they be sent (remember, always keep
copies in your home file). You can also request a
meeting within the first week of your arrival in your
new town. You might ask them about transportation
arrangements so the bus will arrive when your child
is ready to start to his/her new school.
At the local school level.
Your Realtor should be able to tell you the name and
address of the local school district office; if not,
call telephone information in your new county and ask
for the name and address of the local department of
education, division of special education. If the
operator doesn t have information on special
education, you can either send your request to the
local department of education and write ATTN: SPECIAL
EDUCATION on the envelope, or phone the number of the
local department of education and ask for the
division of special education.
If you will be visiting your new location before you
actually move, you may be able to get information on
schools and medical facilities while you're in
town. It is most efficient to meet with the special
education staff when you've got all your
child's records collected and up-to-date.
However, if you have the time, it might be
interesting to visit special education programs in
the new school district, as well as talk to parent
groups. You can identify parent and disability groups
in your new location by contacting NICHCY and
requesting a state resource sheet.
Q: Why get in touch with parent or disability groups?
A: Often families want to know the "best"
school or the "best" program for their
child. Obviously this is a difficult question, since
one person's idea of best may not be the same as
another person's. Often, talking to families who
have children with similar needs can offer insight
into the options. Parents can talk quite informally
about what they like and dislike about the various
programs, staff, and schools in a community. Parents
can also talk about non-school topics, like day care,
respite care, recreation, medical facilities and the
like.
Even if there is not a parent group or disability
organization for families just like yours, you may
find it useful to talk to other groups. The opinions
of other people who are using the same systems
(schools, therapists, buses, etc.) can be very
useful. Pick up local newsletters too; they have
information on local news of importance to families
concerned with disability issues.
Q: What about early intervention and preschool
programs?
A: There is a great variety of services available for
very young children. Be sure to check with the new
school system to find out what early intervention
programs exist for children your child's age. If
your child is moving from an early intervention
program to preschool the changes may be significant.
Again, inquire early and give details of your
child's needs and current services. The NICHCY
State Resource Sheet will give phone numbers of state
offices in charge of birth to 2 years old programs
and of 3 to 5 years old programs.
It may be helpful to talk to your child's current
therapists and/or teachers to discuss what would be
provided in the next age group. In other words, if
your child is almost 3 years old, the program might
change even if your family were not moving. By
talking to the current staff you will have an idea of
what to look for in the new school system.
NICHCY's Parent's Guide to Programs for
Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers with Disabilities
may be helpful. Call us at 1-800-695-0285 for a free
copy, or read the document online.
Q: What about high school students, transition and
work opportunities?
A: The current IEP should be useful in transferring
information about transition needs and plans. If your
child is in a vocational program, or plans to be next
year, this may be a good time to have a vocational
assessment done. Often vocational assessments include
the observations of the people teaching/working with
your child, so the comments of the current staff
would be important. Conducting such evaluations is
time consuming and would best be done before the
move. The results will then be immediately available
to help professionals at the new school determine the
most appropriate placement of a student they do not
know.
If your high school student does not have transition
information in his/her current IEP, ask the present
school special education staff to develop a
transition plan in the updated IEP you will request
before moving. Again, be sure to make this request
far in advance of the moving date to allow time for
the entire team to put together a plan.
If your son or daughter is within 2 years of
finishing high school, it may be very useful to be
sure triennials are up-to-date. Even when a student
is nearing the end of his/her school years, a current
evaluation is important in transitioning him/her to
adult services and work. Be sure your child has had a
triennial within the last two and a half years. If
not, request that this be done before you move. The
information collected will be very useful in planning
new programs, and the people who know your child and
have had experience working with him/her may be the
best ones to conduct this evaluation.
Students who are working in work sites identified
and/or supervised by either the special education
team or community services board (or other formal job
placement arrangement specifically for people with
disabilities) will also require complete records of
their work placement, work experience,
accommodations, transportation and the like. Again,
it may be very useful to ask the current work
supervisor to write a letter describing your
son's or daughter's strengths, needs, and
most effective strategies for achieving success on
the job. There is a great deal of variation in work
experience arrangements in different communities and
different states, with different agencies delivering
these services. When you contact the new school
district, you will need to ask who is responsible for
organizing work experience programs for students
whose needs are similar to those of your child. When
you contact that person, either in person when you
arrive or by mail before then, be sure to pass along
all the information you have assembled about your
child's current placement.
Q: What do I do about Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) Benefits?
A: States vary in the amount, or rate, of SSI
benefits they pay and also in eligibility
requirements. This means that one state may pay more
or less than another, that a child eligible for SSI
benefits in one state may not be eligible for any
benefits in another state, or that a child who had
been denied SSI benefits in one state may in fact be
eligible for benefits in the state to which his
family is moving. Depending on where you move, you
may need to be interviewed by the local Social
Security office, either in person or by phone. To
find out about SSI benefits in the new state, call
the Social Security national toll free number,
1-800-772-1213 (Voice); 1-800-325-0778 (TT). (They
advise you to phone before 8 a.m. to get through more
easily.)
Social Security advises that families should not file
for benefits in the new state until they moved and
have an established address. According to Social
Security, changing an address before a family
actually moves can cause a lot of confusion if a
family s plans change, which frequently happens.
Q: What do I do if I need to move in a few weeks and
don't have much time?
A: Essentially the same things need to be done
regardless of how much advance notice you have of a
move. It is certainly much easier to get all this
accomplished with several months time, but there are
some short cuts.
All the records about your child need to be collected
and duplicated. Letters from teachers, therapists and
other professionals working with your child are very
helpful and can be requested before you move and
mailed to the new address as soon as possible.
Updating IEPs, triennials, vocational assessments and
the like may not be possible. However, you may want
to talk to the people who would be involved in these
evaluations and ask them to write you a letter
explaining any changes or suggestions they would have
for a new IEP, etc. Again, these letters can be
requested as soon as you know you'll be moving
and be mailed to the new address, when they are
completed.
Instead of writing to the special education staff in
the new state and school district, you may want to
phone them. You can ask them to mail information to
the new address, and you can request an appointment
as soon as possible after you arrive. You may want to
take a few minutes to briefly explain your
child's current special education program, so
they will know with whom to schedule your
appointment. Rather than mailing records in advance,
you can carry these with you (don't pack them)
and present them at your first meeting.
Explain to your child's doctor(s) and dentist
that you will be moving very soon and that,
unfortunately, you were not given much advance
notice. If your child has not had a physical within
the past 12 months or is scheduled for any
treatments, shots, or the like in the next month or
two, you may find it useful to see the current doctor
before you move. Hopefully the receptionist will be
able to schedule an appointment. Also explain that
you will need to have medical records forwarded and
ask if you can pick these up when you come in for the
appointment. If there is not enough time, you can
request that the records be mailed to you at the new
address. Be sure to fill all needed prescriptions.
If you are rushed with your plans, it may be more
important than ever to make a notebook of needed
names and phone numbers. Keep a record of the names
and address of the people you asked to write letters
or send information, so you can easily contact them
if the requested papers do not arrive. List all
appointments you make with the new school staff and
make a list of the information they ask you to bring
to these meetings. Don t forget to ask for directions
to the place of the meetings.
Q: What if it's summer time, Christmas vacation
or spring break?
A: Clearly, it is much more difficult to reach the
people you need to talk to if school is closed.
Vacations can prolong the time necessary to reach the
right people or get the records mailed.
However, school offices are generally open the months
of June and July even when school is closed. You
should be able to get records and information during
this time. August may be the most difficult month,
since this is when many offices close for vacation.
It would be good to try to reach all school people
before or after August.
Parent groups may also be less active in summer or
during special holidays. You can write or call, but
it may take longer to get a response. Don't give
up; they'll be back to business by September or
after the holiday.
If you are looking for teachers or therapists in your
new location during the summer, many school districts
will not give out their home addresses. However, you
can send a letter stating your needs to the new
school and call to ask them to forward it to the
teacher or therapist's home. In your letter you
might ask the teacher or therapist to call you and
give your home number.
Q: What if we are a military family?
A: Essentially the same information applies to
families in the military who are moving within the
United States. There are people who can offer help
specifically to military families. If you are with
the Army, you can visit the Army Community Services
Center; if you are with the Navy or Marine Corps, you
can talk to the Family Service Center. If you are
with the Air Force, contact the Family Support
Center. These centers can assist you with identifying
resources in your new community and may be able to
help you in collecting school and medical records.
Talking to a parent group or disability organization
of families like yours may be useful. There is also a
parent organization just for military families.
Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP), can
provide military families with information about
their rights and responsibilities for achieving
appropriate educational services for their children
wherever they may be located in the U.S. or overseas.
Contact this group at: STOMP PROJECT, PAVE, 6316 S.
12th Street, Tacoma, WA 98465, (800)-5-PARENT, (253)
565-2266 (v/tty), wapave9@washingtonpave.com (email),
www.washingtonpave.org/stomp.html (Web).
If you are moving overseas or returning to the U.S.
from overseas, STOMP will have information. The
Department of Defense, Office of Dependents
Education, also has education specialists on staff to
answer questions. You can contact them at 4040 North
Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1635, (703)
696-4493.
Q: What do I do with all these records?
A: Duplicate them. Make sure you have at least two
full sets of records and information on your child.
You will need to give records to the new school and
you should always be sure to maintain a complete set
of records for your personal files. When you need
more copies of records, you can use your file to make
them. NEVER give away the only copy of any piece of
information. When you leave a school district, they
will not maintain a file on your child forever; at
some point these records will be discarded.
Q: Should I mail the records to the new school?
A: If you have successfully contacted the new school
system staff and arranged for eligibility and
placement meetings, you may want to arrange for
official school records to be sent to your contact
person. This could give you a headstart on
identifying the most appropriate educational program.
Again, the goal is to smooth the way for transition
into the new school and the more information the new
school has about your child and his/her needs, the
better.
If you do not yet know who will be handling your
child's special education needs, you may want to
carry the records with you and personally deliver
them at your first meeting with the new school staff.
Generally, schools will need original records, but
copies can be delivered for use until the official
transcripts arrive.
If you do decide to mail records in advance, be sure
you keep a complete set of the records for your
personal files. You may need to provide information
to other people, like doctors or therapists, and you
will then be able to make duplicates of your file
copies.
Q: Should I pack the records?
A: It would be a good idea to hand carry your
child's current records, like this year s IEP and
medical papers, with you. Packed boxes may take time
to arrive and unpack and the goal is to meet with the
staff of the new school as soon as you arrive to
facilitate placement. So buy a large sturdy folder
which closes securely and use this to transport your
child's records.
You can pack records from past years. These probably
won't be as immediately important. However,
medical records should be kept handy in case of any
emergency, so make sure you label the box that
contains these records.
Q: How do I keep all these records, meetings,
eligibility requirements and letters straight?
A: Buy a spiral or looseleaf notebook to keep track
of all the things you are doing. Put the names,
titles, and phone numbers of all the people you talk
to in your notebook, along with a few lines about
what you discussed and any recommendations that were
made. It may be difficult to remember all the new
names at first, and this will help you keep your
information straight. You can also use this notebook
for appointments, directions, and reminders of topics
or questions you want to discuss.
Since appointments and meetings will be held in a
town you may not be familiar with, it might be a good
idea to ask for directions to the meeting place. You
can put these directions into the notebook so
you'll have them next to the notes about the
meeting.
Q: How long will it take to get my child settled into
the new school?
A: This is another hard question to answer. With
careful preplanning, the new school district should
be able to arrange for an interim placement
immediately. They may want to administer some of
their own evaluation tests and certainly will want to
develop a new IEP. However, in the meantime, the
current IEP can be used to avoid an interruption in
school.
You should inquire about transportation and visit the
new school as soon as you can. You can call the new
school and schedule a time to observe; at the same
time, schedule a half hour or so to introduce
yourself to the new teacher. Establishing a positive
relationship with the new staff is always helpful.
Let them know that you are interested in working with
them to arrange for a successful placement and that
you are available to discuss any questions or
concerns they may have. Again, the old school will
need to send original records. Give them letters
and/or reports from the former teachers and
therapists, and be sure to keep copies for your
files.
Q: What if there are problems, if my child's
placement is delayed, or if I disagree with the
placement?
A: Any time you have concerns about any aspect of
your child's special education program, there are
established methods for addressing your concerns.
Talk to your child s teacher and the special
education staff to arrange for a meeting. You may
want to review your child's IEP, review progress
to date, discuss additional evaluations, request
curricula specialists to review your child's
progress, etc.
The information provided by the new state should
include guidelines for addressing problems. Follow
these guidelines. This is also an occasion to contact
the parent and/or disability organizations in your
new location. They, too, may be able to offer
suggestions on effectively addressing the concerns
you have.
Back to top
Use this list to check off each task that you need to
complete. Just cross out any tasks that don't
apply to your family.
____ Get a notebook to keep track of everything
you've done or will need to do.
____ Give your child's current school your new
address.
____ Find out if all school records are up to date.
____ Request copies of all information in your
child's files; be sure all evaluations,
assessments, reports, IEPs, therapist's reports,
and any related documents are there.
____ Request updates on any school records that need
it (IEPs, triennials, vocational assessment,
transition plans, etc.)
____ Duplicate all school records. Your school may
provide this service or you can frequently find
duplicating machines in the public library.
____ Inform your child's teacher(s),
therapist(s), employer(s), counselor(s) and other
professionals working with your child that you will
be moving. Ask them to write letters about their
experiences with your child and any recommendations
or observations that they have.
____ Call your child's doctor(s) and, if
necessary, make appointments.
____ Call your child's dentist and, if necessary,
make an appointment.
____ Request copies of all medical records, including
those of any specialist(s) your child is seeing.
Duplicate these.
____ Call the Social Security toll free line,
1-800-772-1213, to find out about SSI benefits in
your new state.
____ Fill all prescriptions, so that you have at
least one month's supply.
____ Contact the department of special education in
the new state and/or local school district. Request
information about policies, procedures and
eligibility requirements, and request an appointment
for the week of arrival in the new location.
____ Contact the new school, if possible, and arrange
for eligibility and placement meetings soon after you
arrive.
____ Contact local parent and/or disability groups in
the new location.
____ Call NICHCY at 1-800-695-0285 if you need a
State Resource Sheet for the new state (or download
it from our Web site). Let us know your new address
so we won't lose track of you!
____ Get a large sturdy folder which closes securely
in which to transport your child's records.
____ Put all records in a safe place so they
won't be packed or lost (you could put them in
the car right now or put them in your hand luggage).
Additional Tasks (you fill these out)
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This information is copyright free.
Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but
please credit the National Dissemination Center for
Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).
NICHCY Parent Guides are published in response to
questions from individuals and organizations that
contact us. We encourage you to share your ideas and
feedback with us!
Project Director: Suzanne Ripley
Editor/Compiler: Lisa Küpper
NICHCY thanks our Project Officer, Dr. Peggy Cvach,
at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP),
U.S. Department of Education.
Publication of this document is made possible through
a Cooperative Agreement between the Academy for
Educational Development and the Office of Special
Education Programs of the U.S. Department of
Education. The contents of this document do not
necessarily reflect the views or policies of the
Department of Education, nor does mention of trade
names, commercial products, or organizations imply
endorsement by the U.S. Government.
NICHCY
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013
(800) 695-0285 · v/tty
(202) 884-8441 · fax
nichcy@aed.org
http://www.nichcy.org/
Copyright © 2007 ASGC. All rights reserved.
Autism Society of Greater Cleveland
P.O. Box 41066, Brecksville, Ohio 44141 (216) 556-4937
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