Question: When does my child’s school have to start delivering IEP services? Can the school wait a month to start?
Answer: The answer is in your child’s IEP. Pull out the IEP and look for the Services and Related Services sections. Check the Begin Date and End Date for each entry. Often the Begin Date is the first day of school. If it’s the first day of school, that’s when services are supposed to begin under the IEP.
That said, it’s reasonable to give some leeway for schools to get their schedules up and running at the beginning of the year, and for students to settle into new classroom routines. A denial of FAPE is not likely to result from a short delay. But if services haven’t started after a couple of weeks into the new year, it’s time to reach out to the school.