An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is an annual written plan that outlines the services and support a child with special education needs will receive from their local school district. Whether you are a parent who is new to the process or a “seasoned veteran” who has exercised their child’s due process rights in the past, there are crucial things to keep in mind when preparing for your child’s IEP meeting.
Here are 5 tips to help parents feel better prepared at their child’s next IEP meeting.
- Ask to record the meeting. Parents have the right to record the IEP meeting so long as they give the school district 5 days written notice. In this new age of virtual IEP meetings, there is no reason not to record a meeting – whether by the district and/or the parent. Having the recording may be beneficial if you need to file a due process complaint.
- Bring your attorney or advocate. Parents may bring anyone they believe to be relevant to their child’s education to the meeting. This includes the family’s special education attorney or advocate. While the district cannot exclude them from the meeting, the district may then choose to include their own attorney.
- Inform your child’s service providers of the date/time of the meeting. If your child receives services from a private provider or someone contracted with the district, and/or attends a private school, you should inform them in advance of the meeting to ensure their attendance. While the district should be notifying these individuals, it does not always happen, and their absence may result in either an inappropriate IEP or a delay in its creation.
- Know that the district may have to fund a private evaluation. The law entitles parents to one independent educational evaluation at public expense each time the district conducts an evaluation with which the parent disagrees. If you request an independent evaluation at public expense, the district must, without unnecessary delay, either provide for the evaluation or request an impartial hearing to show that its evaluation is appropriate or that the evaluation obtained by the parent does not meet the district’s criteria.
- Do not hesitate to speak up, disagree with the district and/or request needed services during the meeting. Parents often fail to question information provided by the district, whether it is because they feel intimidated, are not knowledgeable or rely on the district to do what is best for their child. Remember that you are your child’s most zealous advocate, and the district is not infallible.
Lastly, raising children is tough, and raising children with special education needs comes with additional stressors. When you are feeling burnt out and questioning whether you are doing enough for your child, remember to show yourself a little grace.
If you are interested in learning more about children’s special education legal entitlements, visit AZ Law & Consulting.GAMECHANGER Tutoring Connection is excited to share Ariel S. Zitrin, Esq.’s suggestions for preparing for an IEP meeting. Ms. Zitrin is the founding member of AZ Law & Consulting, PLLC, a firm that offers expertise in the education and school law space, as well as organizational development consulting services to public and private education institutions. Over the course of her twenty-year legal career, she has lectured and presented on the topics of special education law and attorney ethics, and currently co-chairs the Westchester County Bar Association’s Ethics and Education Law Committees.
