There are a lot of IEP team meetings held over the school year and it’s important to focus on ways to improve your next IEP team meeting with your child’s school district.
Going in prepared will help improve your IEP team meeting
First, have everything you need at the ready. Ask for all reports in advance, especially since the district may take several days—or up to a week—to get you a copy of the necessary reports. Take the time to read the reports and make notes about anything that sticks out. If you don’t understand something, ask. If the explanation you receive does not make sense, be sure to ask additional comprehension questions until you have a satisfactory answer.
Having a prewritten agenda will direct your IEP team meeting
Writing an agenda to take to your IEP team meeting can sound intimidating. However, you should think of it simply as a list of what you want to accomplish at that meeting. This can include your questions, any proposed goals, or other discussion items. A written list helps you remember to cover your points. Leigh makes notes on her agenda so she can come back to a particular topic if the school district did not answer her question, or so that she does not forget an important follow-up point. When you have a written plan, you will improve your IEP team meeting!
Record the IEP team meeting!
Record the meeting. As advocates, we are aware that it can feel uncomfortable—and even a bit confrontational—to say you will be recording the meeting. Do it anyway. That recording is your proof of what happened during the IEP team meeting. Otherwise, if the team makes an important decision and it does not end up in the IEP document, it is your word and your memory against the words and memory of an entire team. The rest of the team works for the District. Protect yourself and have a record of the meeting.
In order to avoid forgetting to give the required 24 hours advance notice, let the team know in writing right away when you have agreed upon the IEP team meeting date. Email notification is acceptable, but we cannot emphasize enough that the notice to the school district must be in writing.
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