What is it?
Students in Special Education have an IEP meeting once a
year to review progress, chart goals, and evaluate what services the
student will receive for the upcoming year.
Who attends?
The meeting is usually attended by teachers,
speech pathologists, occupational
therapists, psychologists, a school representative
and a district representative, the student (when appropriate),
the student's parents or guardians, and any advocate the parents want to
bring.
Why so many people?
The teachers and therapists are there to give
reports and set goals. The school and district reps are there to make sure the
budget isn't squandered and there is no danger of lawsuit if the child doesn't reach the goals set. The student attends when he or she can understand and
be a productive part of the meeting, and the parents are there to make sure
their child's educational needs are met.
So why is the IEP so scary for parents of special needs kids?
Because first they get to hear how far below normal their child is
performing from the reports. It can be heartbreaking - especially if this
is the first complete report of the child's skills and abilities.
Tears are par for the course.
After that there are the recommendations of the experts. The experts are
very hard to question. Is a half hour of speech therapy enough for a child
who only has three words? What does OT mean? Is it individual or is
it group? All the questions one wants to ask seem occur only on the way
home.
The district representatives make it worse...interrupting the experts when
they seem like they may be offering more services than the district is willing
to pay for - so parents might feel that they aren't getting the whole picture.
Finally it's the parent's turn to talk. What should parents
ask? How are they sure their child is getting everything he or she needs?
Parents who have no experience and no help can feel powerless and
bulldozed by everyone at the table. They are asked are asked to sign papers
signifying that they understand and agree to the therapies offered.
So what should a parent do?
Educate yourself about the law.
US law says that special needs children are entitled to "free
appropriate education in the least restrictive environment". The law
is also very specific about rights during an IEP meeting including:
-the right to bring anyone to the meeting the
parent desires including doctors, therapists, lawyers (though this is a last
resort!) and friends
-the right to an interpreter if English is not their
first language
-the right to not sign the IEP if they don't agree with any
portion of it
-the right to a second opinion paid for by the state/school
district (depending on area)
Always remember that the decision-making process is 50/50. The school,
experts, and administrators share one vote, and the parents have the other
vote. The power is on the family's side.
Get support. Find an appropriate parenting organization for parents of
special needs kids. Look in the yellow pages under parent support or
parenting or visit The Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Projects at http://www.taalliance.org/. If nothing local is listed call Easter Seals. They will help find
doctors, advocates, and other services so parents are not
alone.
A /msg in my inbox from noder Jennifer brings up a wonderful point. Often gifted and talented kids go through the same administrative process: "I was in gifted education and did my IEP every few years. Might want to add that in as falling under special ed too. My IEP was great-- gave me a lot more academic freedom in secondary school."
Thanks to Lometa, deep thought, and Jennifer for insightful additions to this write up. If you have experience in the IEP process, from a teacher, administrator, parent, or student viewpoint, I encourage you to node it below.