Some Practical Tips for IEP Meetings
by Pam Lindemann

Never go alone. Take someone with you – your best friend, your mother, anyone who is familiar with your child, so that you don’t feel alone. Even if the person you take has no experience or understanding of an IEP, they can be there for moral support. After the meeting there will be someone you can talk to about the meeting, even if the only thing they can offer is, “That person was so helpful and nice. That other person didn’t seem helpful at all.”

You can have as many IEPs as you think necessary. Even though the school district holds an IEP meeting once a year to update the IEP, you can have more IEP meetings throughout the school year if you feel having one is needed to review what is happening with your child’s education.

The school district can never use “lack of money” as an excuse for not providing a service for your child. When you go into an IEP meeting asking for services for your child, all you are concerned about is getting help for that one child. Surely there is enough money in the multi-million dollar school budget for that one child.

ALL services must be written on the IEP: If it is not written down, the school district does not have to do it. If your child’s teacher agrees with you that your child needs extra help or an extra service of some kind, she is not required to provide that help or service unless it is written on the IEP.

Put all your requests in writing. If you want testing done for your child, if you want to schedule and IEP meeting, if you have a concern about something happening at school, it is absolutely essential that you put your request in writing to the principal. If you do not, and if your requests go unanswered, you will have no documentation to prove that you made the request in the first place and you will lose valuable time toward helping your child.

When given a DRAFT of an IEP, take the time to read through it carefully. Take the document home and compare it point by point with your child’s previous IEP. If there are changes, make sure you agree with them. If there are points you do not understand, write them down for discussion in your next meeting. You do not have to accept the IEP at the first meeting when you receive it. Do not feel pressured to make a decision right then and there. Another week, to allow you time to study and think about the IEP, will not make any difference in your child’s education, so don’t feel pressured by the school to make a quick decision.