Do you have an IEP coming up?! I know we do, so I wanted to share these tips that I have learned with you over the years. An IEP meeting is a chance for school personnel and parents to communicate. The one thing I would say to every friend or family member before an IEP meeting? Be prepared. Do your homework. In our experience, the IEP meeting can be a positive experience if everyone is able to communicate clearly.
A few things to do before an IEP meeting:
observe in your child's current classroom setting (yes you are allowed to do this!)
reread their expiring IEP if they already have one…..do you feel their academic and behavioral goals have been met? Be prepared to share YOUR thoughts.
make a list of concerns and a list of accomplishments. What is going WELL? What is still a struggle?
be prepared to ask questions (a lot of them)
IEP Meetings: 10 Questions Every Parent Should Ask
How can I contact you?
Ask each member of the IEP Meeting Team (classroom teacher, resource teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist, etc) the BEST way to contact them. Let them know you'll be checking in regularly. Set progress reporting meetings.
When is a good time to have an informal conversation about my child's progress?
I had a friend tell me that they wanted to be able to get weekly feedback about her child's progress. She wanted to have a chat once a week. So the teacher was able to accommodate her because she was willing to come in one morning a week, and helped pass out papers before the children started their day. I think this is a great example of the parent taking an assertive and accommodating approach to getting the information she wanted.
What do you see as my child's strengths? How can I support and encourage them?
An IEP meeting should not be all about weaknesses or discrepancies. Ask how you can support your child's strengths and passions. Are they what will make your kiddo successful this year? What type of progress can I expect to see? What will this look like? The great thing about an IEP meeting is that you get the input of specialists. But, that's also the toughest at times. Acronyms, teacher speak, developmental milestones, it can be VERY overwhelming. After each IEP section, ask the team…what should this LOOK like? What are the signs that we are moving in the right directions? What should I watch out for?
What can I do at home to support our goals?
For students to make the most progress (emotionally or academically), goals need to be fluid between school and home. Ask the team…what can I do at home? Ask for specific suggestions. If it doesn't make sense, ask for more information. Which of these goals are the top priority? Between behavioral goals and academic goals…by the end of an IEP meeting, you'll feel like your head is spinning. An important thing to ask…which of these is top priority? Is it behavioral (transitioning to school, for instance)? Like it will be for us this fall with Sam. Is it academic (phonemic awareness…you need to read before you can write or comprehend text)? Ask the team. That way, you'll know what you can do to help them.
How will we measure progress? How will we communicate about this with my child?
Progress towards goals (both academic and behavioral) can be measured in many ways. Will the team be using test scores? A running record with observations of the child? A tally system of behaviors being exhibited (or not exhibited)? Having a clear understanding that progress is usually measured in multiple ways can help you better understand what they are looking for.
What do these supports look like on a daily basis? How will my child's day look?
For me, this is super important with Sam. I want to know how he will be included, what we can do if he gets overwhelmed and shuts down. Academic and behavior supports can be provided in MANY different ways. Will the support be a pull-out model (student removed from the class for small group support) or a push-in model (the support staff blends into the classroom for a period of time)? I learned after my daughter's first year of having an IEP to always ask what will this look like in class. As your child gets older it's also important to include them on these conversations. Maddie knows exactly what her supports should look like on a day to day basis and so should YOU!
Who will provide these supports?
How will my child's classroom teacher be provided with resources and assistance to implement these supports? The best thing about having a support team in place? Everyone helps EACH OTHER (that includes you mom and dad)! Ask questions. How can you support the teacher? How can the speech therapist support you, etc!
What would YOU do if this were YOUR child?
An IEP meeting can often be all business. If this were your own family member, what would you suggest? Trust me, you'll get some pretty honest answers.
For all 3 of our kiddos the IEP’s have looked vastly different. My daughter, Maddie has dyslexia and all of her goals are academic based - helping her hit those goals, so she can be a successful reader and help her build her confidence in the meantime is super important to us! But her goals (being all academic) are going to be VERY different than our goals for Sam. While Sam’s will be somewhat academic, a lot of our current goals for him have to do with his independence and socialization. His needs are completely different from my daughter's and that’s okay! The good news is to remember you can call a meeting at any time and you can change your mind at any time. And most importantly, you might not always agree with what is being proposed. It is your right as the parent to trust your gut because you know your child best! I hope this helps you ask questions at your next IEP meeting! It’s important to ask the hard questions so that you all can work together to do what is best for your child!
Do you have any comments or suggestions? I would love to hear from you! If you found this helpful I would greatly appreciate it if you shared it with a friend!
Xo, Sara
IEP meeting tips, Parent preparation for IEP, Questions for IEP meeting, Support at IEP meetings, Classroom support in IEP, Special education communication, Individualized Education Program, Special needs parents, special needs mom, parenting with special needs
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