The mayor typically is not the right person to address. First you should start with the special education director, followed by the school district superintendent, then the school board. If that doesn't work, you would go to the state's special education department.

But since you already got the mayor lined up.. here's my suggestions. I wouldn't ask questions. Generally leaders do not want to develop solutions. They want you to pitch the idea so they can make a decision. State facts and then request what you would consider a reasonable solution.

I strongly disagree with eriksmom that you should make a long laundry list. Mayors typically are very busy so their attention span is short. I'd keep it to 3 or less. Pick the ones that will have the biggest impact or would be the easiest to implement. You are building a relationship with this person. Get some success and then come back later.

Find out when you can expect action. If the mayor is unwilling to commit.... then reword it to "what are the next steps?"

Warning!!!! Do not turn this into a bitching "poor me" session. This opportunity will regress into a whine session quickly if you and the other 4 parents do not work this out in advance and have a plan. It'll be just one sad story after another. You will lose your credibility and the mayor will probably be thinking about how to get rid of you. But you can include an emotional story that drives home your point which is the lack of services. Show a picture of your child/family to make it more real..... but then remember to quickly come back to the facts and the proposed solution.

I took my son's lack of funding to my federal representative several years ago and got my son drawn off the wait list for the waiver. I have won three fair hearings with the state of Alaska. I got the school district to pay for services provided by an outside agency when their supports did not do the job. And I got the school district to hire an Autism consultant after we went to mediation. These techniques (being reasonable, respectful, clear in your request, and human) really make an impression on our representatives.... because often they have to listen to people that scream at them or act unreasonable.

Most of all, if you are a believer, spend time on your knees asking our Lord and Savior to prepare you for this. He often will provide a better solution than ours.

I would start with the superintendant of school for the district you are in... however before doing this.. familiarize yourself with your state laws regarding ID
EA and the federal IDEA laws... federal always over rides state laws.... schools are governed my these guide lines.. the toughest one is least restrictive enviornment... although your child is entitled to free public education..it the environment that usually ends up being a concern... the gray area is what is considered least restrictive.. what works for student A may be not enough for student B... look at your child's IEP and see what is planned for them.. if they don't have on I cant encourage you enough to get one... request in writing an IEP review... think of what changes your child needs and procede from there.. I too feel that there are too many changes that need to be made...that is one of my goals... i am working my way through the dept of education to the governor and then washington if need be.... best of luck .... I am standing behind you all the way

The book, "From Emotions to Advocacy" has been the most helpful resource I have used in working with the school and developing my sons IEP ... and enforcing it. Start there. The authors (Wrightslaw) also have a good book explaining IDEA laws and a helpful website. I have also gone to one of their seminars. I used their techniques, prayed a lot, and it worked!

When you meet with the school board, you should quote some facts from IDEA.... so they understand they have a legal obligation to provide these services.

AT this point, I think your best bet is to file a complaint with the state's special education board. This board exists to regulate special education through-out your state. They are suppose to be quality control.

Other options include going to mediation or due process for your child's IEP. I can give you some advice if you decide to go this route. But in this case, you can only fight for your child.... you can no longer approach it as a group of parents.

If you haven't gone yet...I would certainly more address why this affects your child. Meaning without getting the treatment that they need what is the result? How this affects your child and family. REgression,,,etc.