GuidesEspañolGet a free callback

NYC • SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

The parent toolkit

An adult holds her head over paperwork while another adult talks on the phone beside her.
Illustrative stock photo. People pictured are not IEP Hours clients.
On this page

Every free tool and guide on this site, grouped by what you are trying to do right now. Nothing here needs an account, and nothing you type into a tool leaves your browser.

Not sure where to start? If services are still being missed, start with the missed services log. If you already have an award, start with the hours calculator. Not sure which you are? Take the one-minute quiz.

Understand the IEP

Read the plan first. Everything else depends on what it promises.

GuideWhat is an IEP?Who gets one, what it promises and how it is used.Guide, English and SpanishGuideReading your child's IEPWhich page holds the services and how to turn them into hours.Guide, EnglishOpens a toolDo I qualify? quizFive questions about what was missed, then your likely next step.Tool, English, about a minuteGuideGlossaryShort definitions of the terms in the paperwork.Guide, English

Record missing services

A dated record is what the school and a hearing officer respond to.

Download (email required)Missed services log and parent checklistTwo pages to print and keep with the IEP. Enter an email on that page to download.PDF, English and Spanish, email requiredGuideHow to document missed servicesWhat to write down, what counts as proof, and how to keep it organized.Guide, English and SpanishGuideWhen the school's log disagrees with yoursHow to compare records and what to ask.Guide, English

Write to the school

Short, factual emails that separate what you know from what you need confirmed.

Opens a toolSchool email builderAnswer a few questions and get an editable email: unassigned provider, records request or IEP follow-up.Tool, English and Spanish, nothing is sentGuideRecords request templateCopy-and-paste email asking for service records.Template, EnglishGuideWriting to the schoolWhat to say, who to send it to, and what to keep.Guide, English

Find a provider

An RSA or P4 only helps once someone is actually delivering the sessions.

Opens a toolProvider search logRecord every provider you contact, their answer and your next follow-up. Export to a spreadsheet.Tool, English and Spanish, stays in your browserGuideFinding a provider with an RSAWhere to look and what to ask.Guide, EnglishGuideQuestions to ask a tutorWhat to ask before the first session.Guide, English

Use awarded hours

Hours expire. Plan them before they do.

Opens a toolHours calculator and weekly plannerWhat the hours are worth, what they cost you (nothing), and how many sessions a week meet the deadline.Tool, English and SpanishOpens a toolAwarded-hours trackerLog each session. Completed time counts; canceled time does not.Tool, English and Spanish, stays in your browserGuideReading your orderWhat the numbers and deadlines in a hearing order or settlement mean.Guide, English

Review learning progress

Make sure the hours are changing something.

Opens a toolLearning goals plannerWrite down where your child is starting and what to work on first.Tool, English and SpanishGuideReviewing progress with a tutorWhat to ask for and how often.Guide, EnglishGuideIEP progress reports vs. report cardsHow to read them and what each one tells you.Guide, English

Prefer to talk it through?

Tell us where you are and we call you back. No cost to you, now or later. Request a free callback.

IEP Hours is an independent information and referral service. This toolkit is ours, not the NYC Department of Education's.

Questions families ask

Do I need to make an account to use the tools?

No. Every tool runs in your browser and keeps what you type there. Close the page and it is gone unless you downloaded or printed it.

Which tools are in Spanish?

The quiz, the hours calculator, the hours tracker, the provider search log, the email builder, the parent checklist and the printables, plus a growing set of guides. Spanish pages have an Español link at the top; English-only guides are marked.

A mother rests her head on one hand at her laptop while her children play nearby.
Illustrative stock photo. People pictured are not IEP Hours clients.

Get a free callback

There is no cost to you, now or later.

Please don't include your child's name, IEP or medical details here. We'll ask what we need when we call. Privacy policy. IEP Hours may receive a fee from some providers we refer families to; it never costs you anything.