I am suspicious that the ONLY reason this administrator wanted to give this child an IEP is to qualify for more federal funding.
What you apparently do not understand is that the family did not request any special services. They paid eight thousand dollars for a dog which will protect this child at the onset of a seizure. They want nothing more than to allow this child to go to school like everyone else. This dog will sit next to the child and is trained to ignore distractions like other children.
I see no difference between the dog and the millions of dollars of prescription medication pumped into young children with behavioral "disorders" just so they can sit in class like everyone else.
Look, I have no problems with people who have epilepsy. Several of my relatives have it. Hell, I had a dog who was epileptic.
But, you cannot be serious if you believe that this girl's epilepsy (and I am speaking only of her, not people with epilepsy in general) does not require her to be treated differently--she wants to have a dog in the class with her, at all times! That is different!
My only point was that if she expects to use something that will require significant accomodation on the part of the school, she should go through the process of having an IEP done--just like everyone else in that position does.
I honestly intended no insult to people with epileptics--I was just trying ot make the simple point that in her case, the school says she should have an IEP because of the adjustments they will have to make.
This is from the epilepsy foundation:
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/efforums/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=2&threadid=23813&enterthread=y
Just having the dog is an accomodation. She doesn't have to have psychological testing. She may need a 504 plan instead of an IEP, and I don't quite know the difference there. My daughter with brain damage needs an IEP. She qualifies under Other Health Impaired and that is what epilepsy is under.