What is an IEP Meeting & How to Prepare for One

Back in 1975, President Ford signed a new law that allowed quality education for all children with disabilities. As quoted directly from the Department of Education website, “The law guaranteed access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) to every child with a disability.” This law today is known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA.

It is through the IDEA that schools are now required to meet the needs of each child and meet with parents to create an IEP. In today’s blog post, we are going to answer a few important questions to help you understand what an IEP is and how to be prepared for an IEP meeting at your child’s school.

What is an IEP?

Individualized Education Program or IEP is a written document detailing the decided upon educational program for a child with special education requirements. The IEP is written to allow the school to meet the child’s individual needs. If a child is to receive special education services, they must have an IEP.

An IEP has two purposes. The first is to determine reasonable and achievable learning goals for the child. It will allow the school to work with the parents to ensure the child will be able to succeed in a regular school setting. The second is to ensure both parties understand what services the school district is required to provide AND what they will provide for the child.

If your child is struggling in school for any reason, an IEP might be an option. We recommend you speak with your child’s teacher and the school administrators to ask how to start the process of developing an IEP.

Who Attends an IEP Meeting?
An IEP is put together by a whole team, allowing the family, school, and a third party to contribute. According to IDEA Sec. 300.321, those invited to an IEP meeting are:

• The parents of the child;

• Not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment);

• Not less than one special education teacher of the child, or where appropriate, not less than one special education provider of the child;

• A representative of the public agency who—

  • Is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities;

  • Is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and

  • Is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency.

• An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results, who may be a member of the team described in paragraphs (a)(2) through (a)(6) of this section;

• At the discretion of the parent or the agency, other individuals who have the knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate; and

• Whenever appropriate, the child with a disability.

In the IEP, the child’s abilities, strengths, challenges, and special needs will be identified. With this information, the team will determine specific educational goals and design a program that will address the child’s needs. The IEP will detail what accommodations will be made and by whom. It will also include a system for tracking the child’s progress.

How Can I Be Prepared for an IEP Meeting?

As a parent, you will likely feel the pressure of wanting to be prepared for this IEP meeting. These meetings, after all, will determine the accommodations your child will receive to help them in school. We want to provide you with 4 important tips to help you prepare in advance for your child’s IEP meeting.

1. Start by opening the flow of communication with your child’s teacher. You will need to be aware of how your child is doing and what the teacher is identifying as difficult for your child. The more you know, the better prepared you will be to contribute ideas and support the educational goals and plan.
2. Educate yourself on the IEP laws in your state. Teachers and school administrators will not necessarily know the laws in detail, so we recommend you read over the state laws regarding IEPs so you know your child’s rights.
3. Ask someone to attend the meeting with you. These meetings can bring up a lot of emotions and having someone to support you will make a huge difference. You can invite your spouse, one of your child’s therapists, etc.
4. Take a day (or longer) to digest the information from the meeting. During the meeting, it is a good idea to take notes. Don’t be afraid to ask them to pause so you can take sufficient notes. Because emotions may be running high, we recommend you take time after the meeting to rest and then review your notes. Think of any additional questions you have or anything discussed that doesn’t make sense to you.

Every child deserves an equal opportunity to learn! If you feel that your child is struggling in school, we encourage you to discuss this with your child’s teacher. Speaking with the teacher will allow you to consider how you want to move forward and if you’d like your child to have an IEP. If you would like to speak with someone to learn more about an IEP and the IEP laws in your state, 121 Learning Works is available. You can reach us at (973) 500-6767.