When Permission for Outside Agency Participation Must Be Obtained

According to Letter to Gray, 50 IDELR 198, (OSEP, 2008), "Since the conversations at each IEP Team meeting are not the same, and since confidential information about the child is always discussed, we believe that consent must be obtained prior to each IEP Team meeting if a public agency proposes to invite a representative of any participating agency that is likely to be respoonsible or providing or paying for transition services. Therefore, it is not permissible under this regulation for a public agency to obtain the consent of the parents or eligible child only one time before the transition planning process is initiated for the child until the child leaves school. Although your question also asks about obtaining the requisite consent on an annual basis, one annal onset would not be sufficient if there is more than one IEP Team meeting conducted during a 12-month period where a purpose of the meeting will be the conisderation of the child's postsecondary goals and the transaition services needed to assist the child in reaching those goals under 34 CFR Section 300.320(b)."