IEP Meeting Prep: 10 Tips That Make A Big Difference

So, you’ve got an IEP meeting date on the books. Knowing you have an upcoming IEP meeting leaves you feeling overwhelmed and discouraged that this meeting will be unproductive like the rest. You found this blog post hoping your next meeting will be different. I have good news for you! The tips in this post will help you have a more constructive and effective meeting that will improve your child’s IEP. Give them a try and see what positive changes you can implement! 

Here are my 10 tips to make a positive difference at your next IEP meeting.

Talk To Your Child

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how valuable your child’s insight can be to the IEP team. After all, this document should be centered around them. No matter your child’s communication level, you can understand how they feel about school by simply observing them. What do their behavior and body language before and after school tell you? Observing your child can provide you with lots of information!

Ask your child what they want out of school. They may not be able to articulate their thoughts fully, but there should be enough information to help you better understand some of the challenges they may be facing.

Here are some questions I like to ask students about school that can give you some insight.

• What’s your favorite part of the day?
• What’s your least favorite part of the day?
• Do you prefer to work in small groups or alone?
• What subject makes you feel the most confident?
• Is taking notes easy or difficult for you?
• Where in the classroom do you learn best?
• Who do you like to hang out with during lunch and downtime?
• What do you do when you’ve finished your assignments?
• What adult and peer do you feel most comfortable talking to?

Write A List Of Your Concerns

To start, write a rough draft of all your concerns. Hold nothing back! Once you’ve written everything down, try to categorize your list. Some categories I often see are social behaviors, academics, executive functioning, and impulsivity. Being able to categorize your concerns is helpful when you start trying to find solutions. 

Once you have your categories, look at the individual concerns and see if any of them can be removed. If you are not working with an advocate, I recommend prioritizing a maximum of three to five concerns. Advocating for your child’s education can become a full-time job. Reduce your stress and focus on what’s critical. What top things will be the most beneficial if the team addresses them? Stick with those.

Review The Current IEP 

This part gets me all excited! When I say you should review the IEP, I mean you should read every word and punctuation mark on each page. Grab a highlighter and some flags or sticky notes, and go to town! 

When reviewing the IEP, ensure that you cross-reference within the document. For example, the services or IEP minutes are usually listed multiple times within the document; make sure they’re all the same. 

What areas of the IEP address the concerns you previously listed? So many things can be resolved just by looking at what the IEP already provides. Odds are that some of your concerns are already listed in the IEP. Once you find them, consider how they can be elaborated on or modified to best suit your child’s needs. 

I strongly encourage you to work with an advocate when reviewing the IEP. Most can do a thorough document review that will provide invaluable information. If you are interested in this service, take a look at my comprehensive record review option on this page.

Review Progress Monitoring

Progress monitoring is my absolute favorite tool when advocating! Even when little data is in the progress monitoring report, it is your best defense! I seriously cannot stress enough how critical progress monitoring reports are. I might make an I ❤️ Progress Monitoring shirt, lol! Alright, let me get back on track here. 

What does the data show? The data is the force that drives the IEP document. Does the data include the mastery criteria listed in the IEP goal? More often than not, I see incomplete progress monitoring, and it truly hurts my heart. Progress monitoring will show you if the data collection method being used is robust enough to show meaningful progress. If you question whether adequate progress is being made, it’s time to make changes.

Here are some things to look for when reviewing progress monitoring reports

• Frequency of data collected
• Does the data being reported align with the IEP goal?
• Are you receiving progress monitoring reports on time?
• Are you seeing progress toward IEP goals?

Ask All The Questions!

Now that you’ve reviewed the IEP and progress monitoring, I’m sure there are questions. These documents can be confusing and often use language that isn’t intuitive. Ask the questions! The phrase “there are no dumb questions” applies here. When it comes to your child’s education, you need to be sure you understand everything! Ask for clarity on any wording or documents you need clarification on. It’s best to include these questions in your IEP letter. Having a record of written communication is a great practice to start using.

Answer Your Questions

This tip may feel counterintuitive, but trust me. Answer your questions! One of my not-so-secret advocacy strategies is always to have an answer to any question you’re going to ask. This gives you the upper hand and also makes you appear collaborative. Having your own answers helps reduce feeling blindsided. I recommend using a variety of resources when trying to answer your questions. 

Here is a list of websites you may find helpful

• IDEA
• Wrights Law
• Your state’s special education handbook – message me if you want help finding this!
• COPAA’s community and training center are amazing!

Write a Pre-IEP Letter

You already know that written communication is the key to success! As I mentioned in my IEP Golden Hour✨ blog post, you’ll find similar advice here. Get started on your pre-IEP letter. This letter lets you gather your thoughts cohesively and gives the school ample time to provide a cogent response and any supporting documents you’ve requested. Clear and concise information is crucial in the special education world!

Here is what you should include in your pre-IEP letter

• The parent’s names and contact information
• The student’s name and identification number
• The date
• Addressed to the IEP case manager and team
• A thank you section
• A brief list of questions and concerns you would like to discuss at the IEP meeting
• You can request that all written communication be included in the child’s educational record.

Keep your letter to one page or up to one and a half pages. Be direct yet kind in your tone. 

If writing IEP letters feels intimidating, I can help! Once a record review is completed, I offer ghost letters (letters I write on your behalf). Send me an email if you’re interested! 

Feel free to use my free IEP letter template here!

Find Solutions

Now that you’ve written your Pre-IEP letter, it’s time to have some proposed solutions in your back pocket. The key to finding solutions that the team will consider is to ensure they are realistic. I’m here to tell you that changes to an IEP document do not need to be drastic or aggressive to create meaningful change. Sometimes, the best changes are small and collaborative. 

Use the resources in the Answer Your Questions section to help you find realistic solutions to your concerns. As a parent, you play an essential role in the IEP team. Therefore, you should contribute solutions to any issues or problems that come up. When parents provide realistic solutions, the tone of the meeting is more positive and synergistic.

Write down your list of potential solutions and have them ready for the meeting. 

Relax

Alright, you’ve done a lot of work to prepare for this meeting—probably more than ever before! Hopefully, you were able to prepare for the IEP meeting a few days in advance and can now take a deep breath. You should feel prepared and confident with your work leading up to the meeting. Ensure you send any written correspondence and questions to the IEP team in advance. Things go much smoother when everyone is on the same page.

Hire an Advocate

I know firsthand how much time and energy it takes to prepare for an IEP meeting effectively. It is so important to do it correctly, and only some have the time or resources for that. If you find that despite your best efforts, you aren’t making progress toward your child’s education, it may be time to hire an advocate. I am happy to help and would love your consideration of my services. You can also check out my IEP Golden Hour✨ blog post on ways to find the best advocate for you and your child. 

Good luck!