IEP Meeting..any tips please?

July_2009 · July 2012

DS (who is on ASD) who turns 3 next week has qualified for preschool disabled program in NJ. We have our IEP meeting coming up soon and I wanted to ask your experiences, the questions to ask and any valuable tips you mamas can give me. Our family really appreciates it!

kchoi · July 2012

we bring food and an open mind to my son's ieps. remember it's a time for negotiation so don't be let down if the school district tells you no. leave your emotions at the door- as hard as that may be, you'll get more for your child in the end. we record our ieps and that helps us knowing there won't be any lies thrown out by the district. most importably, READ UP ON THE LAWS!! know what your rights are and know what the the school district is provide for your child. it also helps if you can speak with other parents in the same school district who have ieps for their child. good luck!

lolacake · July 2012

ditto on the food; it seems silly, but everyone is a little more agreeable over food. I also bring a 8x10 of my daughter...just pass it around to remind everyone that we're talking about a little person, not just goals and hours, etc.

our state won't let us record, unfortunately, so I've brought along both my husband and mom at my 2 IEPs to write every. single. word down; even if I don't need to read it, I feel it helps to keep everyone accountable.

also, if you are at all uncomfortable, don't sign. I had to have additional IEP meetings for our first one (a total of three) until we were able to agree on services, hours and goals.

Good luck!!

LaceAndLilies · July 2012

First and foremost, THANK YOU for being involved and concerned!!! I wish all of the parents I worked with reached out to other parents and/or researched before the meeting. As a special education teacher, I think the biggest thing you can do is be completely present at the meeting. I've had meetings where parents are on cell phones texting or attending to a younger child and don't participate. Parents are a crucial component of the IEP team -- just think about all of the situations you observe your child in that the school-based team members don't! -- and your input is very valuable to the team. Also, be sure to ask questions if you have them! It is very easy as a teacher who works with IEPs every day to use terminology or abbreviations you are familiar with without realizing that not everyone "speaks the language." Finally, keep in mind that whatever is presented at the meeting is a springboard. The meeting is held to ensure that the best plan possible is put into place, so collaboration with all team members is critical! An open mind and a willingness to think outside the box go a long way toward developing a great IEP.

If you have additional questions, feel free to send a PM. I'd love to help if I can! Good luck at the meeting!

July_2009 · July 2012

Thanks ladies for the invaluable tips. I made notes of the points and have a plan in place and will update how the meeting goes.

SueBear · July 2012

Remember that you DO NOT have to sign anything. You are free to talk it over with your spouse, a pediatrician, etc. DH and I did not sign something right away, and they came up with alternatives that we didn't even think of - - it was like they came up with the first plan that made sense, and didn't really think everything through.

Remember, YOU know your child best - - many of the people, though they have the best intentions, do not know your child other than a few 30-minute observations.

You can also bring an advocate with you. I'm not sure if you feel you need one. We have not, but would consider it if we didn't feel that we were being heard.

I'm not sure how tuned in you are in your community. I called a lot of people who had been special ed teachers (but became SAHM), they knew the schools, what services were available.

MomsMuddle · July 2012

My daughter has been on an IEP since the third grade. I am afraid I don't bring snacks, but what I do bring are situational scenarios. I will present an example of a behavior or a situation I have experienced with her and share that and then I ask what they would do if it happened at school. I also share the things that work. I say she doesn't eat well and can get irritable or tired, we like to have a box of healthy granola bars in the nurses office, so she can go get a snack? ( she is 12 so snack time in class is no longer present). You want to be confident and engaged, ask them how they will react or handle the needs of your child and help brainstorm with them any ideas! The best thing is to be involved. I also make sure they all have my email and phone number and I follow up with the spec Ed and school counselor regularly. We are doing her new plan this school year and we have all decided she is not doing well in the regular math class. So I now need to be very attentive to the alternative math class they want to put her in.

You are doing your homework and getting prepared! You will do great!

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