*Please keep in mind
that the advice and information in this article applies to the specific rules
and guidelines for the state of Florida.
You can find out more about Florida law at www.wrightslaw.com. Rules do vary from state to state and in
different countries.
Tomorrow is Ben’s yearly IEP review meeting. Ben received his autism diagnosis almost two
years ago, and not long after, his initial IEP was written prior to him entering
prekindergarten. That IEP was revised at
the end of PreK at his kindergarten transition meeting. Now, as his kindergarten year draws to a
close, we are getting ready to review the IEP yet again.
I am no stranger to IEPs.
As an educator I have sat in on many IEP meetings throughout the
years. I was responsible for
implementing IEP goals as a classroom teacher and I was a member of a team that
helped develop those goals for my students’ IEPs. In recent years, I’m called upon to sit in on
IEP meetings from time to time as a content specialist.
I have learned over these past few years that, despite my
years of experience in the school system, it feels very different to be sitting
on the parent side of the table.
My journey into the world of parental advocacy has given me
newfound empathy for parents navigating the process, especially those who do
not have the resources or the background knowledge of how the system
works. We all want what is best for our
child but round table meetings filled with school officials can be
intimidating, especially when educational terminology and data begins to get
thrown around.
And, so, as I prepare for tomorrow’s meeting, I decided to
take a moment to share five tips to setting the foundation for a successful IEP
meeting. I have been fortunate to have positive,
collaborative relationships with all of the educators who have worked with Ben,
but I believe that this is more than luck.
Sometimes I hear parents describing how they prepare for their kid's IEP meeting, but it sounds more like a solider preparing to go into battle. Personally, I believe this is the wrong
approach to take.
Instead, I offer you five tips for setting the groundwork
for a successful IEP meeting.
1)
Do
your homework first
Make sure you come to the IEP meeting
prepared. This starts with understanding
how the IEP works.
An IEP stands for an Individual Education
Plan.
It is a legal document that is
developed with a team of people (see #3) that defines the goals and
accommodations that your child will receive in the coming year.
It is completely individualized (hence the
name) and tailored to your child’s specific needs.
It also describes the setting in which your
child will be instructed for the majority of the day and any additional
services your child may receive.
To
learn more about IEPs and how they work, click
here.
Prior to Ben’s meeting, I reviewed his
previous IEP and collected data of my own, noting his progress from my
perspective. I wrote goals that I
believed would be appropriate for him (You can research goals on the Internet)
and provided each member of the team with a list of my recommendations a few
weeks prior to the meeting.
Make sure you know your rights. You are allowed to bring someone with you to
the meeting. This could be a person with
additional knowledge of your child, such as a private OT or SLP, or a person
with knowledge of the IEP process, such as an educational advocate. Or, you could simply bring someone as moral
support for you, or a person who can take notes for you so that you can focus
on the conversations that are happening at the meeting. I highly encourage you to bring someone with
you to the meeting, because you will feel at ease with more familiar faces at
the table.
2)
Start
positive
Even if you are unhappy with how the school
is handling your child’s services, it is never wise to start the meeting with a
negative or hostile tone. Coming to a
meeting with “guns blazing” forces people to take sides, draw lines, and put up
walls. There may come a point when you
reach an impasse and cannot agree with what the other members of the team
propose, and your procedural safeguards (which are your rights as a parent)
highlight what to do to pursue due process and mediation, but it is never wise
to start down that road prematurely. You’ll
get a lot farther towards getting help for your child if everyone feels that
they are working on the situation together rather than having their hand
forced.
It’s nice to bring something to share at
the table. A box of donuts or a bag of
chocolates is a nice gesture of goodwill.
Start with an appreciation to the school or
your child’s teacher. Share an anecdote
of something that your child did recently that highlighted his progress or
surprised you in a good way. Celebrate a
milestone, however small.
And, as the discussions happen during the
meeting, remember to view your child through the lens of his or her strengths
and with a growth mindset. Help guide
the conversation around how to build on these strengths rather than focusing on
weaknesses. Weaknesses certainly need to
be addressed, but never let the team lose sight that at the center of these
conversations is your child. And no one
knows your child better than you.
3)
Remember
that we are a team…
It is important to not lose sight of the
fact that all decisions that are made at an IEP meeting are team decisions. And, as a member of the IEP team, your input
matters. Here are a few important things
to keep in mind in regards to team dynamics.
First, no decisions about your child should ever be made without your
knowledge or consent. The school is
required to send you prior written notice before a meeting occurs. Meetings happen annually to review your
child’s IEP (as in the meeting I’m having tomorrow). As a team member, you also have the right to
request a meeting at any time for any reason.
In addition, if the team plans to change your child’s placement (for
example- from a regular education classroom to a self-contained environment of
all children with disabilities) you would be invited to attend the meetings and
take part in the decision process. Deciding
on a child’s placement prior to a meeting such as this is known as
predetermination and is illegal.
Keep in mind, however, that not every
member of the team has to agree. Certain
forms that you sign at these meetings have a place to sign to show whether you
agree or disagree with the terms set forth in the IEP. However, because decisions are team
decisions, majority rules, though you do ultimately have the right do withdraw
your consent if you are truly unhappy with the team decision. Just know that there are consequences to this
choice and make sure you have fully researched the law before doing so.
The other important factor to remember here
is the essence of what the word team means.
Webster’s definition of a team is “a group that comes together to
achieve a common goal.” In this case,
the common goal is making decisions that are in the best interest of your
child. While some may disagree on the
path to get there, this should always be at the forefront of any decisions that
are made. It’s important to strike a
balance between listening to what the other members of the team have to say and
being an active contributor to the discussion.
Here are some key players who will most
likely take part in your IEP meeting.
*Your
child’s classroom teacher-
This person should always be in attendance
at any meeting regarding your child because they provide the much-needed
classroom perspective. They work with
your child in the classroom every day and know his or her academic needs well. However, they may not know as much about
special education rules and policies or specific rules and regulations as
others at the table.
*Your
child’s SLP (speech/language pathologist)-
If your child is diagnosed with autism,
most likely speech and/or language are an issue for him. Pragmatics (or social) language are usually a
weak area for those on the spectrum. The
SLP will have a good working knowledge of the goals that your child is working
towards in the small group, therapeutic environment. Sometimes SLPs push into the classroom and
work directly with the child in that setting.
The SLP can provide valuable input about how your child’s behavior looks
in a small group (which may be quite different from the classroom perspective)
and provide specific support with writing goals and accommodations for the IEP,
including social goals. They may not
have as much in-depth working knowledge of the general education curriculum,
but they will provide lots of advice for how to accommodate and support the
child within the classroom and throughout the day. They can work with the classroom teacher to
develop interventions, such as picture schedules and facilitate social skills
opportunities.
*Your
child’s OT (occupational therapist)-
Another vital member of the team is the
OT. Children on the spectrum usually
have a variety of sensory needs that can and should be addressed through
occupational therapy. A good OT will
work with the child through the therapy setting, but will also work side by
side with the classroom teacher to design a sensory diet, which are a set of
supports to help a child succeed throughout the school day. 30 minutes of OT twice a week in a pullout
sensory gym is not nearly enough sensory support for most of our kids. It’s important to put interventions in place,
such as picture schedules, weighted vests, fidget toys, cool down areas, and
whatever else your child may need. The
OT can help orchestrate these things.
OTs also work to help develop fine motor goals, which usually impact a
child’s writing most in school.
*The
ESE (exceptional student education) resource teacher-
This person may have different titles in
different states and countries, but their role is to support the child’s
academic goals as written on the IEP. If
your child is in a regular classroom setting, this person usually works with
the child during certain times of the day, and either pulls them into a separate
classroom or works directly with the child in the classroom for additional
support. This person is usually the case
manager for the child’s IEP, so they are your “go-to” person when you have
questions or changes that need to be made (or if you want to call a meeting). If a child is in a full-time classroom with
only other children with disabilities (such as an autism unit), this person may
be the child’s primary teacher. This
person has a strong working knowledge of how an IEP works, your child’s goals,
and special education law. They plan
with the classroom teacher to make accommodations for your child, such pulling
your child into a small group to give him extra time on a test.
*The
school psychologist-
This person is usually shared between several
schools. Her role is to complete
evaluations on your child. Your child
will be evaluated prior to the initial IEP being written, and then evaluated
every three years (unless you or another team member feel the need for
evaluations to happen sooner). This
person can also be called upon to do behavioral or academic observations in the
classroom and explain reports or assessments as needed.
* The
school social worker-
This is another roving position often
shared amongst schools. This person will
do a social work assessment (which is a long question and answer session with
the parent) prior the child’s IEP being written in many cases. This person may do home visits at times and
provide suggestions and support for parents on how to support the child at
home. They are often the bridge between
the home and the school.
The social worker can also do behavioral
observations and provide valuable insights into social and emotional
goals. This person sometimes leads
small social skills groups at the school as well. They have a strong working knowledge in the
area of behavior. Schools sometimes have
another team member called the behavior
specialist who also specializes in behavior.
*The
ESE specialist-
There are times when the ESE specialist may
be invited to attend your child’s meeting.
These roles look different in different places, but in our county this
is a district person assigned to a certain set of schools and they oversee
decisions that are made at a school and district level. If you are requesting a major change to the
IEP that may be a bit unorthodox or will potentially cost the district money
(such as a request for a one on one aide), the ESE specialist will most likely
be invited to attend the meeting. You
could request that this person attend your child’s meeting if you feel you need
the perspective of a district person but their busy schedules may not always
allow them to attend.
*The
school administration-
The principal and assistant principal usually
do not attend IEP meetings, but they can also certainly be invited to
attend. If you are requesting
accommodations or services that will ultimately cause changes at the school
level, then you may want to request that the principal attend the meeting. The principal provides a school-wide
perspective and has knowledge of the school budget and how the master schedules
are designed.
*Other
Team Members- Other members who may be present at the IEP team include (but
are not limited to) instructional
coaches at the school (which is the role that I play at my school) who
offer curriculum expertise, ESOL
teachers (for students who speak a language other than English. These teachers can offer translation to
parents), the school guidance counselor,
and the list goes on an on.
As you can see, the table can quickly fill
with lots of people! The good news is
that each person brings his or her own unique perspective and area of
expertise. The key is to get to know each
“player” on the team on an individual level if possible. Reach out to them prior to the meeting. Find out their area of strengths and seek
their support when necessary. Don’t be
afraid to ask for what you need, whether it is a behavioral observation on your
child or an explanation of a psychological report.
If you feel that the meeting is moving too
fast and you are getting confused, ask for clarification or for something to be
repeated. Most people are more than
happy to help in any way they can. We
educators get used to speaking our own language of alphabet soup and sometimes
need to be reminded that others don’t always understand what we mean. Don’t’ be afraid to ask!
4)
…and
be an active member of the team
Come prepared to the meeting. As I mentioned previously, do your homework
before coming. Remember, others at the table
may be able to speak to the curriculum and the technical parts of the IEP, but
you know your child best. No one else
has the unique perspective that you bring, and that should be valued in all
conversations.
If you feel in your gut that a decision
that is being proposed is wrong for your child, don’t be afraid to respectfully
speak up and ask probing questions. You
also don’t have to feel pressured to sign anything at the meeting. You can always take time to think about
something and sign later. Also, don’t be
afraid to ask for data. All IEP goals
should be measurable, and the team should have charts and graphs to share with
you. If not, ask to see them. Ask how your child performed on recent
assessments. Ask the team to quantify
how your child is progressing towards the goals. And if your child is having
difficulty with his or her behaviors in school, ask them to be specific about
their concerns. What exactly do these
behaviors look like? When and where do
they occur? With what frequency? And what interventions are being put into
place to address these behaviors? The
more questions you ask, the clearer picture everyone at the table will have
about what is happening and what needs to happen. Just make sure that your questions are worded
in a respectful, not accusatory manner.
5)
Learn
the art of respectful advocacy
There will be times when you may feel that
your child needs services and supports that he or she is not currently be
receiving. In these cases, it’s
important to be ready to be an advocate for your child. In my experience I have found that the
educators who I’ve worked with have the child’s best interest at heart, but
district and school policies will usually only allow them to advocate to a
certain extent.
As a parent, it is your job to advocate for
your child.
You cannot leave this to others to do
alone, though certainly you can seek the support of members of the team in your
pursuit of your child’s needs.
When you are advocating for a service or
support, first make sure that you understand the law. Know what is within your child’s rights and
what you can legally request. Be
prepared to speak, or even quote the law if necessary. Be ready to bring an advocate to the meeting
to speak to these things for you.
At times you might even want to pay to have
an independent evaluation of your child so that you have additional data as
support. I always bring my own data to
the meetings so that I can share specifics to support the points that I want to
make.
Above all, seek to negotiate with the
members of the team rather than bully them into giving your child what you
believe that they deserve. If you find that your child is in a truly toxic
environment, surrounded by people who just don’t “get it”, then you need to
question whether this school is right for your child to begin with.
I think it’s important to note that we also
need to teach our children to become self-advocates. When a child reaches high school age, they
should begin to attend their own IEP meetings and be part of the process of
setting the goals, but I plan to involve Ben long before this. Ultimately we want to help our child to
become independent, confident, and capable adults, and this includes teaching
them to become their own advocate.
Some people say that I am lucky to have such a strong,
supportive team surrounding my son, but I would argue that luck has nothing to do with it.
These things are carefully built over time.
I did my research and looked long and hard before placing
Ben at the school where he currently attends.
I work to build relationships with the people at the school
who care for my son every day.
I stay in communication with these team members and we
discuss his progress regularly.
Luck has no part in building a strong team.
But a little chocolate never hurts. J
