My Child Has an IEP, Now What? What Parents Can Do DURING The IEP Meeting
There are several things you can do before your child's IEP meeting that can increase the chance of you getting what your child truly needs. There are also several things that you can do during the meeting to increase that chance.
P.s. : Here, the word parent represents any person who has the legal right over that child.
IEP Meeting Tips for Parents: 4 Things To Do During an IEP Meeting
1. Ask for Everyone's Contact Information and Keep it in One place.
At the beginning of the IEP meeting, ask for everyone's contact info. Put it on a piece of paper that you can put in your file or binder. You can also save it to your phone. It doesn't matter how you keep the information. It matters more than it's a system that works for you. The goal is, you can find anyone's contact information easily down the road if you ever need to.
If you don't do this, you can end up getting an unnecessary headache and losing precious time waiting for others to get back to you with the information. Let's just get it out of the way and have it all in one place.
It also shows the team that you are keeping track of your child's IEP team members and that you're an organized person. This can also get the team to take you more seriously.
2. Ask Questions. And ask for Clarifications.
During the IEP meeting, don't be shy or feel discouraged to ask questions. Make sure that you understand what is being discussed and what is being offered. An IEP is a very important legal document. It should cover where your child is at, such as your child's strengths, needs, and what the school needs to do to support your child's progress. It usually involves a lot of words and jargon that we don't use during our daily lives.
What Questions Should I Ask at an IEP Meeting?
Here are some things you can ask during your child's IEP meeting. You don't need to ask all of them, and you can ask questions other than the ones listed below. These questions are here to give you an idea of what to ask:
- Can you tell me about my child's day to give me an idea of how his day usually looks?
- Has each service provider (E.g., The behaviorist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, etc.) been providing all of the hours, or are there service hours owed?
- How is my child with the other students? Is he making friends? What does he usually do during his free time?
- How is my child making progress towards his current IEP goals?
- What kind of data or assessment does the team use to develop the new goals?
- How does the school teamwork on and track the IEP goal progress throughout the year?
- How will the service providers work with each other to ensure consistency throughout the year?
- How will the school team notify parents when the expected progress is not made before next year's IEP meeting? And what will be done? Will another meeting be planned to modify them?
- Who will work on what goals?
- What can I do at home to support the school team and his IEP goals?
- Can I receive similar materials used at school, so I can use them at home too (E.g., With speech therapy materials, etc.)?
- What is the best way to contact each team member when I have questions?
3. Contribute to the Team's Discussion
As the parent, you're an equal member of the IEP team. Your opinion matters. The school team members are experts in their respective fields. Their training and experience are essential in figuring out how to help your child. However, you're also an expert here. You're an expert in being your child's parent and your child's advocate. Contribute and share your opinions.
For example, when the speech therapist discusses how she works with your child, contribute what you've been doing at home to help him in this area. Contribute what works and what doesn't work at home.
4.Do not sign the IEP right there. Take home the copy and look over it again before signing.
In my experience, this is actually not a common practice, especially with parents who are new to the special education world. An IEP is a legal document that includes a lot of information about your child's education and what needs to be provided to help. A lot of information is provided and discussed there. Notes are taken throughout the meeting. Anyone, including the best teacher and note-taker, can make a mistake forgetting to include essential information and changes made. And as a parent, you can also misunderstand something that is being said or offered there.
The team cannot move forward with the new changes and recommendations unless you sign first. But do take the time to go over it again before signing. If you have any further questions or need any clarification, ask the teacher first. And when everything looks right to you, sign the IEP and return it to the teacher. Try to get it back to the teacher promptly, too, so the team can move forward with the new IEP recommendations.
If the teacher can't give you a copy of the IEP to take home right then and there, ask her when you can have it. If she gives you more than a one-week timeline, ask if you can have it within a week so the information from the meeting is still fresh in your memory. Follow up with her if you still haven't received it within the timeline given.
Once signed, the teacher should finalize the IEP soon after and send you that completed IEP copy. If you haven't received it within two weeks, follow up with the teacher and ask if you can have it soon. Ask for a timeline again.
To recap, here 4 Things You Should Do During Your Child's IEP Meeting:
- Ask for everyone's contact info and keep it in one place.
- Ask questions. Ask for clarifications.
- Contribute to the team's discussion.
- Take Home the Updated IEP Draft. Do Not Sign Yet.
The information is here to give you the know-how, so you can have the confidence to go out there, be an equal part of your child's team, and get what your child needs. And at the end of the day, use the information in a way that can serve you and your child best.
What should a parent bring to an IEP meeting?
- Did you get an IEP draft for this meeting? If yes, bring it along.
- Has your child had prior IEP? If yes, bring along the co
- py from last year.
- Notepad and pen.
- A list of your questions and concerns.
- Your spouse/partner, friend, or family member if you feel that extra support can help you.
- Snacks and drinks for the team. This rarely is done by parents in my experience, but it sure does put smiles on the team members. It helps build a rapport with the team and start the meeting with a more positive vibe.
- And most important of all, your confidence. You can do this. You got this.
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Disclaimer: The info here is for educational purposes only and shouldn't be seen as any kind of legal advice.