Friday, 01 January 2010

• How do I prepare for my child's IEP?

  Many parents have the same question: “How should I prepare for the IEP process?” This process, requesting, obtaining and implementing an IEP, can intimidate parents. The parents are in a room with so-called “experts” who know all the rules, the tests, what the results mean, and all those little details that, for parents, can become overwhelming.

  
  The good news is that a parent can do some simple things to make the process easier: for them, the school staff and the child.

  
  Preparations before the Meeting: 
  

  
  Read thoroughly the brochure “Parent Rights: Notice of Procedural Safeguards” that should have been given to you when the evaluation process was started. You should not wait to receive this when the team meets to discuss the results. If you have not received a copy, ask for one.

  
  Write down the issues that you feel needs addressing. For instance, is your child in second grade and still unable to write legibly? That’s an issue that can be addressed by special services and needs to be listed. Anything that might inhibit his or her ability to achieve academic success should be included in this list. Even if it is not something the school helps with typically during the school day, the counselor on the team may be able to provide you with resources you can pursue on your own. You can deliver these issues in a letter or memo format to school personnel before the IEP meeting so the staff can have answers ready at that time, rather than having to get back to you later.

  
  Obtain contact information for team members. This means names, direct phone numbers, and email addresses. Over the next year, you may have a need to personally consult with one or another. The secretary in the main office can help you with this.

  
  If your child already has an IEP and you want to suggest changes, write these down in letter or memo format and deliver to staff (either by mail or through office) before the meeting. This will help them research and have answers for you in time for the meeting. Offer supporting statements for why you feel these changes need to be made.

  
  If you’ve already been through this process countless times and not making any progress, consider the use of a third-party advocate. You can use someone you know, an education advocate or an attorney specializing in advocacy. Be careful about this option though as it often puts the school on the defensive! Make sure all avenues have been covered first.

  
  During the Meeting:

  
  Make sure you arrive early or on time for the meeting. Early is best. This shows that you value the time that others have. When you arrive late, it says to others that you believe your time is more valuable than theirs. If you cannot avoid being late, call. Let them know.

  
  Even though you have, by this point, given each person a list of the needs your child has, state out loud, in a direct manner, each of those needs. Do not be rude but do not let anyone talk over you until you have clearly stated each goal. It is okay after each one is stated to discuss that particular issue and then move on to the next one.

  
  Listen to what the school staff has to say. Take notes of the points made, who said what, and what the outcomes were. Listen as the team reviews the results of any tests conducted. You do not have to understand the tests or even the scores. The personnel will or should explain these to you. Make note if any of the concerns brought up by school personnel match your own concerns.

  
  If any of the options given by the school in the IEP are disagreeable, make note of that directly on the IEP. There is usually a specific space for that on the signature page. You do not have to agree with parts or the whole drafted IEP. Good schools will wait until after the first meeting before making a draft to begin with, but some try to “speed” the process by having a draft ready for signature only including the recommendations made by the school and not that of the parent’s input. Do not sign that document.

  Even if the school staff says they will “add on” your thoughts, goals, etc. after you sign, refuse to do so. After your signature is on that page, the school is not obligated to add on anything or might “forget” to do so. If the staff fails to make the add-on, that will require another meeting to make changes. Your time is just as valuable as theirs.

  
  Some parents choose to record the meeting. This does provide good “proof” in case of disagreements down the road of what was said. However, do not record the meeting secretly. There are laws that differ by which state you live in but most require that any person being recorded must know in advance that they are to be recorded; otherwise, you cannot use that tape in any court proceedings should you need to. And since most parents are making the recordings for just that specific future use, it makes sense not to do something that will prohibit that.

  
  After the Meeting:

  
  Send a letter thanking each team member for his or her time. This helps keep a cordial relationship.

  
  Give a summary of the meeting from your notes either in a separate letter or in the thank you note. List the outcomes expected by each person, i.e. you are responsible for bringing a copy of previous testing and the school counselor will be gathering a list of resources for you.

  Also include the recommended goals for the child and list of services to be included to reach those goals. If there is a misunderstanding, this letter will give the school staff a chance to correct it.
  
  

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