by Isabella Pastora

Created on: September 20, 2008

As a parent, before attending your child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting, there are a few things you should know and anticipate. This meeting is regarding your child's educational plan and describes the specificities of their needs, which you as a parent should be aware of before the meeting is even scheduled. Educating yourself on what your child's eligibility is, or rather the reason your child has an IEP in the first place, may take some leg work on your part, but it is essential to understanding what services your child may need and how those needs can be met by your local school district. Making yourself knowledgeable of your child's needs and goals will help you maintain a realistic view of what can be expected of not only your child, but those educating them. There are many sources online and in print available to parents and most school districts maintain special education websites and offer many brochures and pamphlets to assist parents and answer their questions in advance.

The most important thing to keep in mind as a parent is that it is imperative that you attend these meetings. So often parents choose to have the meetings conducted without them, assuming it doesn't make a difference if they attend. This couldn't be further from the truth, as this meeting is where you and your child's school will discuss the services your child qualifies for, how said services are being met, and how your child is progressing. Prior to the meeting you will want to read all literature sent by your child's school as well as familiarizing yourself with any outside reports you may want to include.
It is also important to note that you should be working with your child's school for your child's best interest, not against them. Most people don't go into such a specific field, such as special education, because they don't want to help children. Also, keep in mind that most teacher's have years of experience behind them, often working with children with similar needs to your child. This isn't to say that they know better than you what's best for child, but rather they are using their applied knowledge and experience to assist your child.
The IEP is the perfect time to address any issues you may have concerning your child's education. Often disagreements can be dealt with in the IEP meeting and do not require advocates or formal disputes. At no point should you feel pressured to agree to the meetings outcome or be coerced into signing right there and then. You

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