Sample Letter to Request a 1:1 Aide for Extracurriculars

The accommodations a child requires to participate in both academic and nonacademic school activities will be determined by their IEP team. You can write a letter to your IEP team requesting that a 1:1 aide support your child for extracurricular activities.

Use this Google doc as a reference to write your request, or review the example text below:

From: Kathy & Thomas Jones
509 Adams Blvd.
Anytown, CA 90207

Date: January 28, 2024

To: Ms. Jane Smith, Special Education Specialist
Happy Elementary School
815 Lincoln Ave.
Anytown, CA 90207

CC: Mrs. Williams
RE: Mary Jones

Dear Ms. Smith,

Following our IEP meeting this morning, I would like to formally request that Mary be provided with paraprofessional supervision to assist her full participation in the auditions for the after-school Theater program, and if successful, for subsequent rehearsals and performances.

Mary is very enthusiastic about participating in the program. We also believe it is consistent with her IEP goals especially in speech and will foster opportunities for authentic friendship. Although we would like Mary to be more independent, it is difficult for us to see how she could participate without adult supervision, and we feel it is unfair to ask the Theater teacher to provide this herself. Therefore, we feel that Mary’s full participation is only possible if the school provides an aide and that not doing so amounts to discrimination.

The U.S. Department of Justice has advised that the Americans With Disabilities Act Title II, applies to activities of public entities such as school systems (28 C.F.R. Part 35.) “The public agency may not assess any additional charge for the provision of an auxiliary aid or service.” (28 C.F.R. § 35.130(f)).

We also point you to the following resources that apply to similar extracurricular activities: In 2013, the US Dept of Education issued Guidance on Extracurricular athletics stating it would “violate a school district's obligations under Section 504 to provide significant assistance to any association, organization, club, league, or other third party that discriminates on the basis of disability in providing any aid, benefit, or service to the school district's students."

IDEA also states in Sec. 300.117 Nonacademic settings: “In providing or arranging for the provision of nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities, including meals, recess periods, and the services and activities set forth in §300.107, each public agency must ensure that each child with a disability participates with nondisabled children in the extracurricular services and activities to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of that child. The public agency must ensure that each child with a disability has the supplementary aids and services determined by the child's IEP team to be appropriate and necessary for the child to participate in nonacademic settings.”

Please let us know the plan for making this important accommodation and service available to Mary so that she can participate in the Theater program. We are open to any ideas you have that will make her full participation possible.

Sincerely,
Kathy Jones