An Individualized Education Program (IEP) serves as a collaborative action plan for your child’s educational success. Developed during an IEP meeting that will include parents, teachers, and possibly learning specialists, this legally-binding documentation of IEP goals should include academic and behavior goals, progress notes from teachers, how much time will be spent in a regular classroom, and the most appropriate placement.
If your child requires additional services, like therapies or an aide, that information will be detailed in the IEP plan. Needless to say, because the provisions of your child’s educational future are decided upon during these meetings with teachers, therapists, and other experienced educators. Because of this, parents should always be present and active participate in every IEP meeting and clearly understand and approve of their child’s IEP goals.
The IEP Meeting: How to Prepare
Because the stakes—and often tensions—are high during an IEP meeting, it can be tempting to lose focus or fail to communicate what you know to be your child’s most important needs.
As you prepare for an IEP meeting, the acronym ABC can be a useful tool to maximize the potential of this all-important gathering.
• Become an Advocate. Approach the challenge of IEP deliberations from the stance of an Advocate. Replace emotional reasoning with well-researched justifications for what your child needs to succeed. Enlist other advocates for consultation and support before, during, and after these procedures.
• Build Relationships. It is rarely the school’s intention to appear in opposition to the needs you identify for your child. Administrators and teachers are faced with limited resources and difficult determinations of prioritized need. Build relationships during this collaborative process with the professionals who will deliver services to your son or daughter with special needs.
• Become Child-Centered. A recent survey of teachers conducted by Curtis Dudley-Marling found that teachers believe IEPs can be effective tools, but the documents don’t provide information to guide day-to-day planning. Educators need the perspectives of both you and your child to make the most of the programs available. It’s especially important that children understand the purpose of IEP meetings. The best way for this to be achieved is to invite students to their own meetings.
Legislation requires students 14 and older be invited to any IEP meeting that discusses their education. Too often this mandate is checked off the list of protocols with an unenthusiastic invitation or a chair offered for the child to sit quietly behind the meeting table. From its intent to its list of participants, an IEP meeting should be child-centered.
Involving Special Needs Children in IEP Meeting, Process
Self-advocacy is one of the most important skills a child with a disability can learn. It will be an essential source of light to guide your child through life. Involvement in the IEP meeting, and participating in developing IEP goals, is a remarkable opportunity for youngsters to learn about their disabilities, practice asking for what they need, and witness their ability to succeed when provided reasonable accommodations. A 2004 research study by Mason and colleagues showed that students who participated in their own IEP meetings knew more about their rights and enjoyed higher self-esteem than their peers who did not.
An IEP meeting can be a challenging experience for educators, parents, and students. Cherish your role as an advocate for the keys that will unlock your child’s brightest future. Build relationships with the parties involved, and keep your child the focus of every step of the journey toward his or her tomorrow.
