Before IEP Meetings

1. List your child's strengths, needs and interests and your major concerns about his/her education.
2. Think about your child's educational process. What has been working? What has not been working?
3. Consider various ways to involve your child in the IEP development process, starting at a young age, if appropriate. This can help your child develop self-advocacy skills! 
 

During IEP Meetings

4. Share long-term and short-term visions for your child.
5. Remember that diagnostic tests and assessments do not represent your child's education.
6. Make sure you understand. If you don't understand something, ask someone to explain it in a way that you can understand.
7. Important: You have the right to disagree with your child's IEP at meeting's end. Review the proposed document at home and if you disagree with what's proposed, notify the school as soon as possible to resolve any issues. 

After the IEP Meeting

8. Review your child's IEP once a year to determine whether he/she has met the annual goals and revise the IEP if necessary.
9. School personnel must inform you about your child's progress on a regular basis. If your child isn't making adequate progress, the school will hold an IEP meeting to review the document and make necessary changes. 
10. You can request an IEP meeting at any time during the school year if you believe it is imperative to consider changes in your child's IEP.

Other Helpful Tips
 

• Fill out and return paperwork completely and timely, prior to the meeting.
• Call the Student Services Office with any questions.
• Bring any relevant notes, paperwork, etc. to the meeting.
• If you are unable to attend the scheduled meeting, let Student Services know so we can reschedule or determine an alternate way for you to participate (i.e. phone conference) in your child's meeting.