Preparing for an IEP Meeting
For many parents/families, their child’s annual IEP meeting falls in the second half of the school year. If this is the case for your child, there’s no time like a little down time (after the holiday celebrations, of course) to start preparing. Here are a few tips:
Gather your documents. This can be a daunting task but try to focus on the current IEP, progress reports (these should be provided at least as often as report cards and report on IEP goals), report cards, and work samples. You might also ask for any informal assessments (eg. Dibels, iReady, MAP) that are often given 2-3x/year. When asking for these assessments, be specific that you’d like to see the teacher report, which gives more details than the parent report. If you feel you are missing files, ask your team chair for copies.
Write a list of Parent Concerns. Once you’ve gathered your documents, look for areas of progress and those where your child might still be struggling. Has he/she/they made progress towards their IEP goals? What is and isn’t working for your child? Are there new concerns? Write this information down, even if in short bullet points. This can become part of your Parent Concern Statement in the IEP.
Plan for support. Do you need support in preparing for the meeting or in the meeting? You have the right to ask whomever you’d like to attend the meeting. This is a busy time for advocates so advanced notice of 4-6 weeks will help ensure you get the support you need. Please notify your team chair if you are bringing a guest. If your child is 14+, they should be invited to the meeting too.
Create a Parent Agenda. This can be a simple way to gather your thoughts and questions and keep you on track during the meeting. You can share this with the school team in advance so they are aware of your concerns.
Bring a photo of your child. Sharing a recent photo can be a nice way to remind the team who they are all working so hard to support, especially those that might not have daily contact with your child.