Remember that this whole process needs to be repeated at the close of your overseas assignment. Take care in choosing where your family goes next, and give yourself as much time as possible to prepare the way. Now that you know what it takes to create an effective transition, repeat all these steps with the new school, even if it is an "old" school to which you are returning. (Often personnel will have changed while you're gone.) If you are going to a new post in the United States, remember that there may be several neighboring school districts to choose from, some of which are more generous with services or more appropriate for your child or children than others. Be choosy.
Be sure to keep a portfolio of all the documents you've exchanged with the school - report cards, memos after parent-teacher conferences, records of resource services, test reports, and samples of your child's work - so that you make the next transition as smoothly as you can. Give the teachers and therapists plenty of time so that they can write summaries which can help to smooth the way when the change occurs.
If you are returning to a public school in the United States and have an address and the required documents that allow you to enroll your child, you should begin a dialogue with the office in the local school district that deals with special education regarding your child's special needs. Overseas schools do not have the statutory authority to write a legally valid IEP. Families who are posted abroad need to be aware that their child's IEP could expire while on the tour of duty. If the IEP expires, the child will need to undergo the determination of eligibility process again when the child returns to the United States in order to re-qualify for special educational services. Many overseas schools can write an educational plan that outlines goals and strategies for a child's education, but this is not the same legal document as an IEP written by a U.S. public school.
Enjoy!
Although this sounds very complicated, if you have a child with special needs, you are probably already quite accustomed to most of the steps we have recommended. The situation of going overseas is an extension of what you are already used to at home. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised at the quality of the partnership you are able to create with the new school on behalf of your child, in the context of all the mind-expanding possibilities of an expatriate experience. Preparation, openness, optimism, and respect among parents and educators are the essential ingredients for success for everyone in the family. We wish you and your family the very best!
