7. Date for the beginning of
services and the frequen-
cy, location and duration of
the services
The start date usually refers to
the date of the meeting, and the
duration is a year. Frequency and
location include how many hours
per month or minutes per week
the services occur and whether
they occur in general education
or outside of general education.

whether to college or vocational
at the meeting. Understand
programs. Pay attention to this
the acronyms and terms the
section. Often, schools outline
school uses.

general goals; however, goals here • Review former IEPs, progress
should be individualized and
reports, comments on report
SMART. cards and any evaluations.

Make sure the goals make sense
to you and meet your child’s
Tips to Prepare for
needs as the data indicates.

Your Meeting
When necessary, collect and
• Educate yourself. Research
provide data. If the school’s
your child’s disability code
data does not make sense,
and understand its educa-
ask questions. If accommoda-
8. Postsecondary goals
tional implications. Trust your
tions and goals do not match
This part starts with the first IEP
gut. If you know or think your
recommendations on the eval-
that is in effect when your child
child needs an accommoda-
uations, ask why.

turns 16 or sometimes younger
tion, ask for it.

Remember, you know your
depending on your state. Here’s
where the IEP presents goals and • Read all documents and make child best. Being on the other
sure you understand them. side of the table might intimidate
supports necessary for your child
Don’t be afraid to ask questions you, but it is called a team for a
to transition out of high school,
reason. You are an equal member
of that team. When necessary,
refocus discussions on your
child’s needs. No one at the table
is right or wrong, and the meeting
does not have to be adversarial.

If you are fully prepared, know
what to expect and have data to
support your requests. Then you
can be the strongest advocate for
your child. T
Frances Shefter, Esq., is an attorney
at Shefter Law, PA, based in
Maryland. Her firm’s focus is
special education law, and she
strives to assist families to have a
Stress-Free IEP experience. Contact
her at 301-605-7303 or frances@
shefterlaw.com. IEP RESOURCES
U.S. Department of Education: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA):
https://sites.ed.gov/idea Free PDFs on procedural safeguard summary, acronyms and what to look for in
IEP goals, plus more information, is avaiable at shefterlaw.com
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