Bringing something to take notes with will help you to group your thoughts.
An IEP meeting can be an intimidating, exhausting experience. But it doesn’t have to be. Coming prepared will help you to navigate the educational process and create the best plan for your child. Here are a few things you can bring to your child’s IEP meeting to help you be fully prepared.
A Notepad and Pen
You will be glad your brought something to take notes with. As the meeting progresses, you can jot down any thoughts, questions, comments, or ideas you have. These will be invaluable when you get a chance to comment.
Your Notes
In addition to taking notes during the meeting, you want to come prepared with your own notes that you’ve compiled ahead of time. You can create a list of topics that you want to be sure to talk about, as well as questions and concerns about the current IEP, goals you want the current IEP to achieve, resources, doctor’s notes, and anything else you want to make sure you don’t forget to bring up during the meeting.
Last Year’s IEP
If there’s anything from last year’s IEP that you want to address, you’ll be glad you have a copy of it with you. You can also compare this year’s IEP plan to last year’s to check for changes and omissions that you don’t necessarily want to agree to.
A Friend
You may want to bring an advocate to help you get the best IEP for your child. Even if you just bring a friend, it helps to have an extra pair of eyes and a friendly person to stand in your corner.
Your Child
If your child is 14 years old or older, then they are allowed to attend their IEP meetings. Attending an IEP meeting is a great opportunity for your child to learn self-advocacy skills and can even positively impact learning, attendance, and outcomes.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (202) 561-1110 (Washington, D.C. office) or (301) 577-4333 (Lanham office). Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.