5 Steps to Calm & Successful IEP Meetings
My framework for getting through your annual Individualized Education Program meetings with confidence.
It has been nearly a decade. While it has gotten easier, I always get nervous before my son’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. It feels like his future is hanging in the balance. I know his team cares so much. It is still a heavy, lonely burden.
What have I learned to do about it? I prepare, communicate, listen, advocate, and review. These 5 steps ease my anxiety as I go through the process, and I hope they help ease yours.
1: Prepare
Try to be available at the proposed day and time. Skim last year’s IEP if you have one. Make some rough notes. Which goals do you think your child has and has not achieved? What are your biggest concerns in the moment? Prepare something for the “parent concerns” section in each area: academic, social and physical. What are your child’s current strengths and interests? Brush up on your legal rights if you’re not sure. Here’s a simple checklist.
2: Communicate
Leading up to the meeting, ask the teachers and therapists informally for a heads up on what they are observing, what they are planning as far as goals, and any…
