How to Prepare for
an IEP Meeting
A BY FRANCES SHEFTER, ESQ.

re you overwhelmed by the special
education process? Do you feel like
you are a part of your child’s
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meet-
ing? Teachers, service providers and other
school personnel go through years of
school and training.

As a parent, how can you be an equal part
of the IEP team? Educating yourself is the
first step. Understanding basic timelines, parts
of an IEP and being fully prepared for your
child’s annual IEP review meeting empowers
you to be the best advocate for your child.

Timelines known as the PLOP section
This section explains how your child is
doing with specifics in each identified area.

The material should summarize your child’s
strengths and weaknesses to help the team
identify areas for goals.

2. Annual goals
These goals should be individualized, not a
reworded Common Core standard. Goals
should use your child’s strengths and build
upon weaknesses. They should be specific,
measurable, attainable, realistic and time-spe-
cific (SMART). Goals focus on your child’s
needs and aren’t limited to those related to
your child’s disability category.

4. Related services, supplementary
aids and services
What does your child need to receive an
education with neurotypical peers to the max-
imum extent appropriate? This part includes
instructional accommodations, modifica-
tions, assessment accommodations and other
types of direct services.

5. How will your child not be able to
participate with neurotypical peers?
This section refers to the least restrictive
environment. Where and when will your
child participate with neurotypical peers?
This participation could be during electives,
some core classes, lunch, and recess or not
at all if your child is fully in a self-contained
3. How and when the school will
classroom. If your child is in a self-contained
measure your child’s goals
classroom, will the class have some activities
If you want updates more than four times with neurotypical peers, such as field trips or
IEP Parts
a year, pay attention to this section. IDEA assemblies?
The draft IEP should be one of the documents requires updates four times a year, but you
parents receive before the IEP meeting. This can ask for progress reports more often. How 6. Accommodations for state and
draft can be between 15 to 30 or more pages refers to the way the service provider will col- district assessments
and quite overwhelming. Thinking of the IEP lect the data on how your child progresses Some limitations exist, but some com-
as eight parts that build on each other can toward the goal. Will the teacher use informal mon accommodations include extended
help parents understand its contents:
procedures, formal procedures, checklists, time, preferential seating or small group
observations or other methods? Make sure or individual testing. What does your child
1. Present Levels of Academic
you are comfortable with and understand the need to even the playing field when taking
Achievement and Functional
standardized assessments?
Performance (PLAAFP), formerly how and when.

20 Washington FAMILY AUGUST 2022
SDI PRODUCTIONS / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
Timelines are part of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and are
important so that you, the parents, can
meaningfully participate in your child’s IEP
meeting. Parents should receive written
notice of the date and purpose of the IEP
meeting 10 calendar days before the event.

This notice gives you enough time to fully
prepare for the meeting. Knowing the pur-
pose of the meeting is also important so that
you understand the documents that need to
be reviewed and discussed.

You should receive your documents before
the IEP meeting within “a reasonable time,”
meaning enough time to review the docu-
ments and prepare for the meeting.

Five days after the meeting, parents should
expect to receive finalized documents and
a Prior Written Notice (PWN). The PWN
explains what happened at the meeting. If
the school refuses any parental request, this
denial needs to appear in the PWN along with
reasons for the denial. Be sure to read the
PWN carefully to make sure your disagree-
ments appear. If they do not, contact the
school and ask for corrections.