How to Prepare for Your Child’s IEP Meeting

An individualized education plan (IEP) is a key component of your child’s special education plan. By law, schools are required to provide services to kids who qualify. An IEP meeting is where goals will be set, and which services will be provided and decided on by both educators and the child’s guardians. 

Does your child qualify for an IEP? Often, parents will receive a medical diagnosis of a disability and assume that it automatically qualifies the child for services, but this is not the case, says Michelle Givan of Givan Special Education Services in Birmingham and a special education advocate. “When seeking special education and related services, it is imperative that parents understand this IEP process. Only certain disability categories qualify for special education, and the child’s disability must interfere with his educational performance.”

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B, or IDEA, is the law that governs evaluation and provision of special education services for students ages 3-21. It also provides procedural safeguards or parental rights. IDEA lists 13 qualifying disabilities and their criteria. Those disabilities are autism, deaf-blindness, developmental delay (ages 3-9) emotional disability, hearing impairment (including deafness), intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech-language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment (including blindness). 

“The educational criteria for these disabilities sometimes do not match medical criteria, and this can be a tremendous source of confusion and frustration for parents,” adds Givan, who is the parent of an adult with autism spectrum disorder. “Being a “child with a disability” does not mean that the child has to be making failing grades to receive special education and related services.” 

However, for children who qualify for evaluation and an IEP is in order, it can be very intimidating for parents. But with preparation and research prior, parents will feel more informed and confident during the meeting. Here are six steps to help best prepare you for your child’s IEP meeting. 

Talk to the teacher. It is important to talk to your child’s teacher to determine how things are going at school. The teacher can help identify your child’s strengths and challenges and may suggest what services would be helpful to them. If possible, observe your child in the classroom to get a feel for how social interactions and classroom learning are going. Knowing this information, as well as their current math and reading levels, will help you assist in setting goals during the IEP meeting.

Read up. The school should send home a notice of meeting that states who will attend the IEP meeting, the reason for meeting, and, if applicable, goals set in the previous IEP meetings. Carefully read the information sent home so you understand what to expect. You may also consider studying special education laws that pertain to your child’s needs so you know what services you can legally ask for. There are many websites and books available to help parents prepare for IEP meetings as well. The more knowledge you have, the more confident and comfortable you will feel during the meeting.

Set goals. Prior to the meeting, write down questions you would like to ask at the meeting. This is also a great time to consider what visions and goals you have for your child and make note of them. Bring your notes with you to the meeting so you can refer to them throughout the process. Having a list of questions and an idea of goals you would like to see your child reach will help you make sure that you cover everything you had hoped even if the emotions of the meeting make it more difficult to remember your questions and concerns. Don’t be afraid to ask for additional services for your child. The school may not provide everything you had in mind, but it never hurts to ask.

Get organized. Collect any paperwork you need or would like to bring to the meeting and organize it neatly for the meeting. Bring your notes from your observation, your list of questions and goals you would like to set, and any medical paperwork that pertains to the IEP meeting. If you have had any private evaluations done, bring copies of those as well.

Bring an advocate. It can be helpful to bring an advocate to the meeting with you. This could be a lawyer or, simply, a spouse or co-parent. Having a person there both for support and to be another advocate for your child can be a good boost of confidence for the parent to help ensure you meet the goals you would like for your child. Be sure to let your school know, in advance, who will be attending the meeting with you.

Be confident. You know your child best and are the best person to represent their needs, challenges, and successes. While it can be emotional and overwhelming to address issues your child is facing when it comes to learning, setting goals and ensuring the proper services are provided is the best thing you can do for your child’s success in school. Dress appropriately for the meeting, bring the documents and notes you prepared, and speak confidently and lovingly about your child. Your preparation and concern will be apparent to everyone at the meeting, and you will have the reassurance that you were prepared and did your best to help your child be successful in school.

Sarah Lyons is a freelance writer. 

RESOURCES 

• The Art of Advocacy: A Parent’s Guide to a Collaborative IEP Process by Charmaine Thaner
• Better IEP Meetings Everyone Wins by Cynthia M. Herr and Barbara D. Bateman
• Wrightslaw: All About IEPs by Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright
• Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide by Peter W.D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright
• Your Special Education Rights: What Your School District Isn’t Telling You by Jennifer Laviano and Julia Swanson
• The IEP from A to Z: How to Create Meaningful and Measurable Goals and Objectives by Diane Twachtman-Cullen and Jennifer Twachtman-Bassett