10/10/2025
A Prior Written Notice (PWN) is a document that schools are required to give parents before they make or refuse to make certain decisions about a child’s special education.
It is part of your parent rights under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), which is the law that governs the IEP process. A PWN must clearly explain:
-What the school is proposing or refusing (for example, denying an evaluation, changing placement, or adding a service).
-Why they made that decision & what data or reports they used to make it.
-What other options were considered & why were those rejected
A PWN is your paper trail of accountability. If a school tells you they are not adding an accommodation or they cannot add a service requested, you have the right to ask for it in a PWN.