As a parent, you never stop advocating for your children whether they are 8 or 28. While you may have many great educators, friends, and therapists, you are ultimately “guiding the ship”— clearing the path for your child on their school and life journey. This role can be challenging, and one of the challenges you will face is the IEP meeting. This meeting is the direction-giving forum where all of the educators, administrators, and therapists are in the same room, so using this time effectively so everyone is on the same page is crucial.
Parent, Roberta C., gives these tips to help prepare for the IEP meeting
In an effort to prepare for the upcoming IEP meeting, spend some time thinking about the kinds of expectations you have for your student. Write those down before the meeting so you can compare thoughts and ideas with the school. Academic and Life Skills goals are two areas to try to find a balance that most benefits your child. And most importantly, prepare some questions to show that you are, and want to be and to keep informed.
Here are 7 things to keep in mind:
- Understand what services and accommodations your child is entitled to — Every State’s Department of Education website lists the rights and responsibilities of special education within that state. If the accommodations are listed such as word-prediction, read aloud, etc… and they aren’t in your child’s IEP bring this information to the meeting with you.
- Know that you can acquire services from an outside entity — If your child needs and is entitled to a certain service or accommodation that the school is unable to provide, you may (in collaboration with the school) seek an outside entity to provide what is missing.
- Investigate service provisions available and in neighboring districts — Particularly in the areas of OT, PT, and Speech Therapy. Leverage this information when you are petitioning for the amount of time per week or per day your child will have access to these services.
- Remember that services pull your child out of something else — If your targeting academic goals, consider what class time your child will miss while receiving these services.
- Standardized Testing Accommodations — Ask what allowances or accommodations will be made for standardized tests. For example, if your child uses a writing accommodation, petition that this is allowed during testing as well.
- Track Progress — Require that milestones and steps are charted out to reflect how your child will meet the goals established. Also, find out how to ensure your child’s IEP carries from grade to grade so that you don’t have to start from scratch each time but instead evolve their plan.
- Set up communication loops with all parties — How often you will communicate? In what form will you communicate? e.g. phone, email, take-home letter, homework book, etc.
One of the most important things you can do is communicate with your child, ask them about school and the things that do and don’t work for them. Being heard and having some control over their education can promote independence and help move towards strong decision making in the future.