How to Participate in an Individualized Education Plan

If you have, or think you have, a child with special needs (including giftedness), you will need to participate in Individualized Education Plan conferences with school personnel. Here's how to use IEP meetings to get your child the services he needs and is entitled to receive.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Academic Counselings
• Calendars
• Pads Of Paper
• Educational Software

1. Get your child tested if you suspect he has special needs, such as a speech or language disability, an attention deficit disorder, or a learning disability. Your child's public school must provide such testing - or you may opt for a private evaluation.

2. Become familiar with the system and your rights within it. Even if your child attends a private school, the public school district where you live is mandated to provide testing and services for your child's special needs.

3. Involve your child in the process as much as possible. Whether or not he participates in the actual IEP meetings, he should be part of decisions that affect his education.

4. Persist! It can seem like the process of getting testing and services moves at a snail's pace sometimes, but hang in there.

5. Try not to be intimidated by all the "experts." Counselors, special education teachers and others certainly have valuable input into developing an IEP, but never forget that you know your child best.

6. Advocate. If the school doesn't offer a service you believe your child needs, make it happen. That's how today's services came to be.

7. Get support. Many schools and communities have support groups for parents of children with special needs. Sometimes it helps just to know you're not alone.

Tips & Warnings

• Use discretion in deciding whether your child should participate in IEP conferences. He has the right to do so, and there may be instances when his participation would have benefits, but be careful that you and the school personnel don't talk about your child as if he weren't there.
• If you opt for a private evaluation, make sure all test results are copied to the school guidance office.
• The first step to getting the services your child needs is testing, which some parents resist because they don't want their child to be labeled. Get past it; your child needs you to be his advocate, and pretending a problem isn't there doesn't help anyone.

[murch5678]

on 5/10/2009 Great tips on how to participate in an Individualized Education Plan.