Special Education: 6 Parenting Tips to Help You Assertively Participate In Your Child's IEP

Are you the parent of a child with a disability in special education,nwho would like parenting tips on how to be an equal participant innyour child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) development? Are younafraid to give your opinion because you are not a professional? Thennthis article is for you; learn six easy to use tips that will help younassertively participate in the process for the good of your child.

Tip 1: Ask a lot of questions. The process can be overwhelming;
The IEP meeting usually has 5-10 disability educators plus thenparents. Ask questions whenever you need to, so that you cannunderstand what is being said by school personnel.

Tip 2: Ask the disability educator to slow down, and explainnsomething that you do not understand. Sometimes school personnelnspeak very fast, and do not stop to explain what they are talkingnabout. This is especially true, when they are giving parents resultsnof a psychological evaluation. You should ask them to show you thenresults of the tests and explain what the scores mean.

Tip 3: Bring a written list of items that you would like to discuss atnthe meeting; it can be hand written or typed. Check off each item asnit is discussed. Leave space at the bottom of the list to handwritenany new issues that come up at the meeting.

Tip 4: Consider bringing a parent input statement to your child’s IEPnmeeting. A parent input statement is a one page document that statesnwhat you believe your child’s needs are, and what special educationnservices your child needs. It should be typed, if possible, and asknthat it be attached to your child’s IEP.

Tip 5: Use the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) tonsupport your position. Peter and Pam Wright have written several booksnincluding Special Education Law; second addition. This book is easy tonread, and use as a reference at any school meetings.The book can benpurchased at www.wrightslaw.com. Tip 6: Read the IEP document before you leave the meeting. What wasnsaid at the meeting is not important, what is important is what isnwritten in the document. Make sure that any important discussionsnabout your child are included in the meeting notes, and that allneducational services promised are listed.

With these 6 tips, you are well on your way to learning to assertivelynparticipate in your child’s IEP meeting. You know your child bette
than school personnel, so you have a lot of valuableninformation to share with the team. Good luck in your advocacynjou
ey!