Educators will assume that you are not familiar with the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process and frequently forget that you are an important member on your child’s team. Their jargon will make your head spin and leave you wondering if your child’s needs are truly being met. You need to take an active role in the IEP process to ensure that your child is getting the most from his education. As your child’s biggest advocate, you need to be prepared!
Be On Time
Educators work on rigid schedules. Usually the IEP is scheduled at a time when your child’s main teacher is available – in the early morning before school starts or during the teacher’s planning period. When the teacher needs to report back to her classes you lose a very valuable person to the IEP process. Be on time so that you can ensure your child gets everyone’s full attention for the duration of the meeting.
Be Organized
You should maintain a binder for IEP meetings filled with everything you might need. As a teacher, I recommend different sections of the binder for report cards, current IEP copy, past IEP’s, questions/concerns you would like to discuss, and IDEA information. If you have a concern regarding your child, you will need the documentation to back you up.
Be Informed
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governs IEP policies and sets forth standards for special education needs. You need to be familiar with your rights as a parent and your child’s rights as a student. The IDEA website (http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home) is chockfull of information to keep you in the loop. Print out relevant information and keep it in your binder for reference. If you watch a video on the site, take notes and write down the title of the video in case you need to refer to it.
Reflect on Your Child’s Needs at Home
An IEP does not just cover what goes on inside the classroom. What goes on at home pertaining to education can also be addressed at the IEP meeting. Does your child struggle with homework? Perhaps the IEP needs to make an allowance for modified homework or homework help at school. Does your child seem depressed at home? Many children endure bullying or excluded from their peers at school, which affect their ability to learn. Does your child show a unique interest in a special subject area? This can be useful information to educators. Does your child play with children significantly younger than her or participate in activities that seem immature for her age? These things can reflect a developmental delay. Chances are, the teachers have observed many of the same behaviors. Unfortunately, teachers are more likely to dismiss the behaviors quickly or ignore them.
Make Sure Your Concerns are Addressed
Come prepared with your list of concerns and make sure you are clear about the answers for each area. Even if the teachers and administrators need to leave the conference, the IEP coordinator should take the time to work with you. If the coordinator needs to end the meeting, schedule a meeting with that person for another time that is convenient. You should never leave feeling dismissed.
