October 28, 2009
Strategies and Tips from Parents
- Write down your ideas about before the usual meeting time. Keep an ongoing list or notes to yourself between each IEP Meeting so that you can stay prepared. Write it down as the thought occurs to you so that you will remember it when the the time comes.
- Share your notes, information and observations with your private service providers. You can sign a form that allows the school providers and your private providers to communicate as well if you wish.
- Consider the future, aim high and leave room for reality. It’s great to want your child to achieve big things but often our kids are different at school than home and may have different needs as well.
- As a parent, never go to an IEP meeting alone. Always have either another family member or an advocate of your choice in attendance with you at all times.
- Choose to remain positive before, during and after the meeting.
- Choose to assume that everyone in the room has the best interest of student at hand and that everyone is doing the best job that they can.
- Depending on the age of the child, have them write or you write a letter addressed to the IEP team members. The child may include pictures telling the IEP team that show the IEP team who they are as an individual at home and at school, what they like to do, what their strengths are, and any other bits of information that they might like to share.
- In order to obtain services, there must be identified deficits and specific goals for those deficits established.
- When the school says that can’t provide a service or comply with a requested accommodation because it is against policy, politely ask them for a copy of the policy.
- Be prepared ahead of time and bring copies of any recent testing or other documentation from private sources regarding the student.
- Share thoughts and innovative ideas on how to work in tandem with all the IEP Team together.
