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IEP meetings can be intense, emotional, frustrating, confusing, even nerve-racking! Regardless, your active participation in IEP discussions and decisions is key.
Team IEP meetings are where decisions regarding your child’s educational environment are made. This will include key determinations surrounding: services, accommodations, modifications, goals, current performance levels, transitions, further evaluations, and more.
As a parent you are a key member of your child’s team.
IEP meetings can be intense, emotional, frustrating, confusing, even nerve-racking! Regardless, your active participation in IEP discussions and decisions is key.
You can be an effective contributor to your child’s educational environment – you know your child best. However, you need to be prepared going onto an IEP to make your best contribution. So, what can you do to foster a successful IEP atmosphere?
When you attend a team meeting, you will be most effective if you are able to remain calm. This, of course, is a big ask when placed in a situation where you may feel out numbered or intimidated. You should attempt to be prepared to honestly and openly discuss your child, their disability, and their needs.
If you are feeling uncertain, or under-informed, you may struggle to effectively contribute to team decisions. The best way to avoid these feelings is to be organized and prepared.
If you act on the preparation items highlighted in the following sections, you will be armed with information. This preparation will likely help you process your feelings related to you child’s needs ahead of the team meeting.
Be sure you have a thorough understanding of the findings of your child’s special education evaluation.
You should receive a copy of evaluation results. If you are unclear about any part of what it says, ask the school psychologist or other professional who completed it, to go over it with you to ensure you understand the findings.
All children who qualify for special education meet criteria for an educational disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Examples of the 14 disabilities listed under IDEA include Autism, Specific Learning Disability, Speech-Language Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Emotional Disturbance, or Other Health Impairment. Know which educational disability your child qualifies under.
If you are able, take some time to find out as much as you can about your child’s disability category. You might consult your child’s pediatrician, a school counselor, or a friend who is knowledgable. There are also many on-line resources. You can search the internet for related sites, articles and blogs. You may be able to find support groups or chat rooms where you can ask questions and get answers from parents or professionals.
The more you understand your child’s disability, the more you will understand what your child may benefit from in the school setting. This allows you to be an active part of developing supports for your child in their educational environment.
You don’t need to be a lawyer, but sometimes it may feel like you wish you were one. In reality, understanding key parental and student rights in the IEP process does not mean getting a law degree. There are many resources that can help you prepare.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contains most information you need. It is a searchable on-line document. There are also many blogs and vlogs on the internet about special education law that break topics down into understandable language.
You can contact me anytime to discuss your child’s situation if you are unsure of a certain area of special education law. I leave my contact details and a link at the bottom of this article. And remember, you may bring support to an IEP if you feel it is needed – this might be a friend, professional, or an advocate.
Make a list of questions you want to ask before you go into the IEP meeting. Having a list may:
You can do this physically in binders/folders, or electronically. The key is that you organize all documents: evaluations, IEP/504 plans, progress reports, doctors’ diagnosis, emails/memos/letters to and from the school… anything relevant to your child’s special education. They should be easy to access and reference in and outside of meetings.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of things you can or should do to prepare for an IEP team meeting. But I hope it gives you some good ideas as a starter for preparation.
IEP meetings can be scary. However, you will be more likely to provide effective input if you have thought things through beforehand.
If you participate actively, and express concerns that you feel are not being addressed by the school, it is your right by law to seek the support of a 3rd party. This might be an advocate, or a mediator or lawyer.
If you want to discuss your child’s situation, and understand how a 3rd party might bee able to help, I offer a free initial consultation – just give me a call.
Leah Sansone, M.Ed. | 919-510-3180 | Round Table Advocacy
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