IEP stands for Individual Education Plan and is for kids with special needs to ensure compliance with IDEA ( Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and also to road map the education of the child with special needs. An IEP helps educators recognize issues, create goals, and offer solutions for your child.
When IEP time comes around, I usually start spinning my wheels. I feel there is so much for me to prepare. I look at my daughters recent developments and compare them to last years IEP. How has she done reaching the goals? Which goals can be aimed higher? Where do I know she has educational needs that need to be met? I take notes so that I know what I would like to see in the new IEP. When I am preparing for a PCS IEP then I have the teachers increase services and requirements, in hopes that in the new location Anna would receive more but at least what she needs in additional services. If you google  ”IEP goals” you will find IEP goal banks that are free AND extensive. They will give you an idea on how to formulate a goal that you would like to see added in your childs IEP. Did you know that you can call for a IEP review at any time? If you think that changes need to be made, then you can ask for a new meeting. The IEP will not necessarily completely rewritten, but addenda can be added if you feel it’s important.
To be frank, it never really mattered as the new districts ALWAYS wanted to assess Anna again. This always meant months of testing and preparing.
My rule of thumb is that any change in location, educator, school costs Anna one year, where she makes little progress. Yes, we have lost quite a few years. It is what it is, complaining won’t change anything.
Once you are prepared, go to the meeting! I usually bring a snack or something special to eat to the meetings for the team members. We’ve had the meetings during other teachers lunch time or before regular school hours. They might not have a chance to eat, and people are grumpy if they are hungry. In addition to that, I always felt that this would at least get me started on a less hostile ground.
Bring someone with you if possible. I have had several meetings where I felt more being a part of a tribunal and at an education team meetings. If your husband can’t come along, get with STOMP, one of their counselors will  come along, see if you find a friend or a fellow special needs parent to come along.
If you’ve had ‘issues’ with your team before you might consider bringing these papers. (BTW, did you know you are authorized and exact copy of ALL of your childs’ school documents in his or her file – Â ask for it, look at it!)
- Past IEPs
- Phone log
- Assessments and evaluations
- Discipline reports
- Report cards/progress reports
- Correspondence to and from the school
- Immunization and pertinent health records
- Contact information for service providers and other agencies
Ask for regular communication with your child’s teachers and service providers. For us the school planner worked perfectly. In other schools it was like pulling teeth to get any info out of the teachers.
