My wife and I have a son who is 6 years old and has autism. The IEP team met and decided he needed a one-to-one school aide for next school year and this has been placed in the accommodations/modifications section of his draft IEP. Subsequent to the IEP meeting, the school system has told us that the aide is for behavioral needs, which is covered under the Comprehensive Services Act, and therefore we must pay a “co-pay” for this aide’s services.
We have refused to pay a co-pay for this aid saying that the aid is identified on the IEP and the local school system is responsible for providing our son with a free and appropriate public education. Does the local school system have any authority to require us to pay for an aid that is for use in the school only and identified in the IEP?
Thanks,
James
Dear James:
Your school district is apparently insisting that you utilize some form of public or private health benefits to subsidize the cost of a one-to-one aide, referenced in your son’s IEP.
Schools may ask the parents if they are willing to utilize third party coverage to pay for covered therapies or other related services. However, under no circumstances can schools require parents to use third party coverage if there is any out-of-pocket expense to the family, including deductibles, co-pays, exhaustion of lifetime maximums, or triggering any exclusion or pre-existing condition problems.
Under the IDEA, the child is entitled to a free appropriate public education. This means that the education, including any services listed as needed in the IEP, must be provided at no cost to the family.