How to Prepare for an IEP Meeting

In order to prepare for the meeting, parents must have an idea of what is to take place. Under the law, the IEP meeting is intended to 1) determine the present level of the child's academic achievement and functional performance, 2) develop a plan to meet the child's needs for the upcoming school year, and 3) to establish goals so that the child makes continuous progress over the coming year. Remember, none of this is written in stone and can be amended during the course of the year. A meeting can be requested by the parent at any time. At the same time, be sure and include EVERYTHING you want for your child in the IEP to ensure that the goals are implemented.

If your child has a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the school can either accept a medical diagnosis or can pursue an educational diagnosis. Chances are, even if your child has a medical diagnosis, the school district personnel will want to conduct their own testing to establish an educational diagnosis

In preparing for the IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting:

*Review existing and prior IEP's, evaluate IF progress has been made.
*Review any recent or new evaluations.
*Review the child's present level of performance. Has there been measurable improvement in performance? Have goals been met? Are they realistic?
*Ask yourself, "Where do I see my child in one year, three years,..." You can not create a plan and/or SMART (specific, measurable, action words, realistic/relevant and time limited) goals if you have no idea where you want to go and what is realistic for your child.
*Remember the purpose of IDEA is to provide a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to a disabled child with the purpose of preparing the child for further education, independent living and employment.

An IEP is a stepping stone to future accomplishments. It is imperative that your child make gains in his or her educational journey. The function of the IEP is to create an individual plan for your child that is measurable. This measurement needs to reflect your child's progress. If your child is not making adequate progress, the plan needs to be re-visited. This review of existing goals should be done on a regular basis. Do not wait until the end of the year to look at your child's progress. It may be too late then.

Kerri Duncan has been supporting families with children diagnosed with autism. She aims to increase awareness and educate those involved in the lives of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. If you need more information and support, click here to see how she can help you and your child reach a brighter tomorrow.

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How to Ensure That an Effective IEP Is Developed and Implemented

What frustrates parents the most about dealing with the school in relation to their special needs child?

When parents call me to say that they need help to advocate at a school meeting, it is because their child's educational needs aren't being met at school and they don't know what they can do to change things. When I ask the obvious question; does your child have an Individual Education Plan in place? They say 'Yes, but it is not being followed'. And THAT is what frustrates parents. They've followed the process of requesting an IPRC meeting to identify their child as exceptional and to determine the correct classroom placement, which finally led to the development of the IEP. The IEP is a document...a plan that should guide teachers on the steps to take in order to meet the educational needs of the student. So why is the student still having so much difficulty at school? You can't MAKE a teacher teach a certain way, or provide the modifications and accommodations that are in the IEP. So what is a parent supposed to do?

Perhaps the reason that the IEP is not being followed is that it is too general - it is not specific to the individual student. Perhaps it was processed in isolation as part of a procedure rather than being developed with input from a multidisciplinary team of professionals with each of the student's needs as the focus of the IEP.

I suggest that the parent request an IEP meeting to include all the key players, which is anyone who can provide input and suggest teaching strategies and accommodations to meet the needs of the child. The principal, because ultimately the principal is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the IEP; the classroom teacher and the educational assistant, because they will be the ones providing the teaching and the accommodations that are in the IEP; the special education resource teacher because he or she is the lead person in the development of the IEP; if the child has motor skills difficulties make sure an occupational therapist attends; if the child has language difficulties make sure a speech and language pathologist attends; if the child has behavior difficulties make sure a behavioral consultant attends, if the child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) make sure someone from the ASD support team attends, and so on....

At the meeting, the first step will be to clearly define the strength and needs of the student. Then go through the IEP step by step to make sure each need is thoroughly addressed, and that the goals and expectations are specific and measurable. Make sure that any equipment accommodations are readily available and can be provided immediately. Identify who is responsible for what service and how often. And finally, request that all school staff who have dealings with the student, are aware of the accommodations in the IEP.

At the end of the meeting, schedule a follow-up meeting in one month to evaluate what is working in the IEP and what is not working. This is not to evaluate the student per se, but rather the effectiveness of the IEP and whether or not it is being implemented successfully. Make the necessary changes to the IEP, and schedule another follow- up meeting in one month. Do this as many times as is necessary.

This is the best strategy to ensure that the IEP is effective and it is being implemented as written.

Karen Robinson at AFASE at school http://www.afase.com provides special education advocacy training and consulting services to parents and guardians whose children are challenged by autism and other developmental disabilities.

I develop my clients into informed, proactive advocates for their children's educational needs. They are empowered by current, customized information that enables them to articulate their children's needs to school staff and school board administrators in a way that is both assertive and collaborative.

Browse through my website to learn more and sign up to receive free advocacy tips and news. http://www.afase.com