- An IEP is a legally binding plan for the services your child's school must provide.
- Prepare by requesting evaluations early, writing your goals, and bringing support.
- You are a member of the IEP team and can take the document home to review.
- Get decisions in writing and know your dispute resolution options.
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written plan that outlines the services and accommodations a public school must provide your child. Under IDEA, the school must make those services available in accordance with the IEP. The IEP meeting is where that document is negotiated.
Many parents walk in underprepared. They sit across from a table of educators, therapists, and administrators who have these meetings every week. It is asymmetric. Here is how to close the gap.
Before the meeting: - Request all evaluations and reports well ahead of time. Under IDEA, the school must let you review your child's education records without unnecessary delay and before any IEP meeting. - Write down everything you want included. Specific goals, related services, accommodations, placement. - Bring someone with you. A spouse, a friend who knows disability rights, or an advocate. - Know you have the right to an independent educational evaluation (IEE), and can ask for one at public expense if you disagree with the school's evaluation.
During the meeting: - You are a member of the IEP team. Not a guest. IDEA lists the parents as part of the team. - Do not sign anything that day if you need time to review. Ask to take it home. - If you disagree with a decision, say: "I do not consent to this. I want this noted in the meeting record." - Ask what data each goal is based on. IDEA requires measurable annual goals.
After the meeting: - Get everything in writing. When the school proposes or refuses a change, it must give you prior written notice explaining what it decided and why. - If the school is not following the IEP, you can file a state complaint with your state's education agency. - Know your dispute resolution options: mediation, state complaint, due process hearing.
Wrightslaw.com is your best resource. Read it before you walk in.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is an IEP and why does the meeting matter?
An Individualized Education Program is a legally binding document that outlines the services and accommodations a public school must provide your child. The IEP meeting is where that document is negotiated. It matters because the meeting is asymmetric, with parents often facing a table of educators and administrators who run these meetings every week.
How should I prepare before an IEP meeting?
Request all evaluations and reports well ahead of time, since IDEA requires the school to let you review your child's education records before any IEP meeting. Write down everything you want included, such as specific goals, related services, accommodations, and placement. Bring someone with you, whether a spouse, a friend who knows disability rights, or an advocate. If you disagree with the school's evaluation, IDEA gives you the right to ask for an independent educational evaluation at public expense.
What can I do if I disagree with the school during the meeting?
Remember that IDEA lists parents as members of the IEP team, so you are not a guest, and you can ask to take the document home if you need time to review it. If you disagree with a decision, you can say that you do not consent and ask for it to be noted in the meeting record. If the school later fails to follow the IEP, you can file a state complaint with your state's education agency and explore mediation or a due process hearing.