Sometimes it can be a struggle to get a good Individualized Education Program (IEP) in place and implemented accordingly. Unfortunately, what sometimes follows the frustration when this is not working is contention and strife between the parties involved. And once you get there, it can be hard to go back. The processes of facilitation and mediation are designed to avoid that. A Facilitated IEP (FIEP) is a process in which a facilitator joins the IEP team and works with the team to identify the issues and establish common objectives. Mediation is a dispute resolution process in which an independent third party joins the team to help members discuss the issues and the differences of opinion, while working towards finding solutions that the team members can agree on.
Both of these services are available through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law (Bowen). Bowen has created the Arkansas Special Education Mediation Project, which is free and available statewide. For more information (and to see a copy of a brochure about the project), go to: https://issuu.com/bowenlaw/docs/asemp_2015_brochure
For a FAQ sheet about special ed mediation, go to: http://ualr.edu/law/clinical-programs/mediation/special-education-mediation-faq/
To request services from this project, go to: http://ualr.edu/law/request-for-mediationiep-facilitation/
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