An IEP Team Meeting Guide for Parents
Erin LeFevour, M.Ed.

As a parent, there may come a time when you need to serve as an advocate for your child, and familiarizing yourself with the IEP (Individualized Education Program) process in the public school system can be critical to assuring a positive educational experience. Regardless of the purpose of the IEP meeting, whether it’s an initial evaluation (to determine eligibility), re-evaluation, annual review, or otherwise, the experience with the process can be nerve-wracking. Learning the language alone can be a daunting task with the many acronyms thrown about, such as IEP, LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), and FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education) just to name a few.  The IEP is a legal document that serves as a roadmap for your child’s educational program.  It describes the student’s instructional needs and the educational services the school is required to offer your child in order to meet those needs.  Laws pertaining to IEPs are occasionally revised.  The federal laws set broadly defined procedures, while state laws dictate more specific regulations. 

Prior to the IEP Meeting
Prior to the meeting, parents should receive ample notice of the time and location.  You should also receive a document called Procedural Safeguards, which includes the parent’s and child’s rights and protections under federal and states laws.  The Procedural Safeguards include:

• Written notice- The school must notify you in writing whenever the school district proposes an action (e.g., conduct an evaluation, develop an IEP, or change your child’s placement).
• Parental consent- The school must obtain your consent before evaluating your child, providing initial special education services, or changing placement (e.g., moving from a general education classroom to a resource room).
• Due process hearing- When you cannot resolve a disagreement with the school, you proceed to a hearing that is formal and legal.  The parties present evidence to a hearing officer who acts as both judge and jury.
• Mediation- Mediation is a different way of settling a disagreement; one that is less costly and adversarial than the due process hearing. The parties have the help of an unbiased, independent mediator who helps the parties try to find a solution that is acceptable to both parties.

For more detailed information on Procedural Safeguards for New York go to http://www.vesid.nysed.gov.  If you do not live in New York, refer to your state’s department of education website.

Preparing for the IEP Meeting
Being well-prepared for the IEP meeting not only allows you, as a parent, to be an active and effective team member, but may also allow you to feel more comfortable and at ease during the meeting.  The following are some helpful tips when preparing for the IEP meeting:

• Know the purpose of the meeting.  Having a general understanding of the direction the meeting may go will help to develop questions and discussion points.
• Read the Procedural Safeguards that have been given to you.  Jot down any questions you may have that you would like answered.
• Come prepared with a list of concerns regarding your child’s educational progress.
• Just as important, come prepared with a list of your child’s strengths, both academic and non-academic.  This can help to create an appropriate IEP for your child.
• Make notes on what you would like to discuss in the meeting (i.e., what you feel is important to your child’s academic success).  Bring these notes with you to the meeting and refer to them when needed.
• Have a good understanding of your child’s academic performance, both past and present.  Review progress notes, report cards, work samples, standardized assessments, etc.
• Find out who will be in attendance at the meeting and their roles.

The Meeting
Team Members and Their Roles:
Depending on the purpose of the meeting, various school personnel may be in attendance.  At the very least, the team should include the special education teacher, general education teacher, administrator, parent(s), and student (if appropriate).  The following are a list of possible attendees and their roles:

• Parent(s)- you are an important member of the team
• Administrator (i.e., principal)- ensures that the meeting flows appropriately and IDEA requirements are met
• Special Education Teacher- provides information on appropriate instruction to meet your child’s needs
• Regular Education Teacher- provides information on the general education grade-level requirements and how your child is making progress with these, as well as how his/her needs will be met
• School Psychologist- discusses appropriate evaluations needed or evaluation results; provides insight into your child’s abilities
• Related Service Provider(s) (i.e., Speech Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, etc.)- discusses appropriate evaluations needed or evaluation results; provide insight into your child’s abilities in the specific area
• Guidance Counselor- discusses social, emotional, and behavioral issues and how these affect academic progress
• Other- People who cannot attend but have important information to share (i.e., tutor, pediatrician, psychologist) may submit information in writing or participate over the phone.  Also, you may wish to bring a family member or close friend for moral support and to clarify questions and answers.  Further, hiring an advocate is another option to acquire support and assistance, as well as ensure you and your child’s legal rights are being met. 

Typical IEP Meeting Format

• Usually begins with introductions
• Followed by a brief description of the purpose of the meeting
• Then the members share information about the child
• Identify the needs of the child
• Discuss possible ways to meet those needs
• Make a decision together

Remember, decisions are made by consensus; therefore you, as a parent and team member, play a vital role in the planning for your child’s academic programming.  After all, no one knows your child as well as you do.  If you need further assistance, The Yellin Center for Student Success offers advocacy consultations and services with an attorney, Susan Denburg Yellin.  In addition to being an attorney, Mrs. Yellin is the founder and Executive Director of The Center for Learning Differences, a non-profit organization that provides information and connections to resources for families and professionals dealing with children who learn differently. For more information, call the Yellin Center at 646-896-3940. 

Resources
http://www.vesid.nysed.gov
http://www.nasponline.org/families/iep.pdf
http://www.nasponline.org/families/psycheval.pdf
http://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/iep.roadmap.htm

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Parent Teacher Conferences
Meghan Kimpton, M.S.Ed.

It may seem hard to believe, but the first quarter of the school year is almost over.  Many schools will soon conduct parent-teacher conferences.  As you prepare to discuss your child’s progress with a teacher, it is important to be proactive, productive, and positive. 

Be Proactive

• Prior to attending the conference, ask your child about the year so far.  What do they like and dislike?  What do they find easy and challenging?  In addition to gaining your child’s feedback, discuss that you will be having a conference with the teacher.  Emphasize that this is a time for you and the teacher to find ways to help make school the best place it can be. 
• Take some time to develop questions you may want to ask the teacher.  Some possibilities may include:
• What do you see as my child’s strengths?
• What areas do you see as my child’s challenges?
• What topics/subjects interest my child?
• Do you have any suggestions for appropriate books for my child to read at home?
• Does my child participate in class?  Does he engage in social interaction?
• How will you assess progress in various subjects?
• What supports are available at the school to help my child with their challenges?
• Consider sharing any information from your child’s life outside of school that may have an impact inside the classroom.  Noting the frequency of events such as sports practices, scout meetings, and religious holidays are all helpful information for the teacher. 

Be Productive

• There is often a tight schedule during parent-teacher conferences and teachers usually have a certain format to follow in sharing information with you.  Allow them to initiate the conference, but ask questions where appropriate, especially if you need clarification.  If there is not time for all of your questions to be answered, ask the teacher for a follow-up conversation on the phone or via email.
• Develop an action plan to address any areas of concern.   Set a time frame for checking on progress (e.g., 2 weeks, 1 month) towards meeting the goals of the action plan.  Closely monitor your child’s progress and keep in regular conversation with the teacher so that further intervention can be put into place if necessary.

Be Positive

• Arrive at the school 5 to 10 minutes prior to the conference so that you can collect your thoughts and do not have to feel rushed at the beginning of the conversation.
• Approaching the conference with negative feelings about the conversation can often create anxiety about what the teacher may share.  View this time as an opportunity for you and the teacher to share your thoughts and brainstorm strategies for improvement.
• Demonstrate a willingness to work with the teacher on stated goals.  This can help promote a positive relationship and create success for your child!

The following websites contain information on addressing specific topics during a parent-teacher conference:
http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/2363
http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-2/parents.htm

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Social Skills: How Is My Child Getting Along?
Heidi Van Horne, Psy. D.

There are numerous social possibilities that children might confront in a given day, though the degree to which they engage in such social situations and find success varies greatly.  For many children, spending time with other people is the highlight of their day.  They eagerly chat with their classmates, seek out the company of other children during lunch and recess, engage in team sports and other group-oriented after-school activities, and beg their parents for multiple play dates per week.  These socially savvy kids generally have strong social cognition.  They are able to use and understand language within social situations and display solid social behaviors, such that they act in ways that cultivate positive relationships. 
In contrast, because we live in such a social environment, children who experience social skill deficits can be at a disadvantage.  They may not be invited for play dates or birthday parties, they are frequently shunned during lunch and recess, and they may have trouble establishing and maintaining relationships with peers.  Children who struggle with social skills may even have trouble feeling that they are understood by their teachers. 

When thinking about social cognition, the ability to read social cues and situations, it is helpful to understand that social interactions are exceptionally complex and involve a number of interrelated cognitive functions.  For instance, having a conversation with someone involves good receptive and expressive language, attention to the speaker’s nonverbal cues (e.g., facial expression and hand gestures), and the ability to remember what the speaker is saying while simultaneously planning how to respond.  Difficulty in even one area of cognitive or neurodevelopmental functioning can significantly affect a child’s ability to find success in social situations.  For children who possess several areas of neurodevelopmental weakness, social interactions can be an on-going source of frustration and challenge, and secondary psychological effects are a common occurrence. 

For instance, when we consider the social life of a child who struggles with language he may not understand the subtle nuances in the casual conversation of his peers, and he may also have a hard time expressing his ideas.  This language barrier may make it challenging for him to really connect with his peers in a meaningful way, and his classmates may view him as strange or weird, however, it is important to note that neurodevelopmental strengths can significantly help such children to compensate for their weaknesses.  If this child has particular strengths in the areas of gross motor functioning and spatial ordering, and could connect with others through interests in team sports or artistic endeavors, he may be able to avoid the secondary effects of his language weakness.

In addition to language, another area of neurodevelopmental weakness that commonly affects the social development of children is attention.  Attention is central to most aspects of daily functioning for a child, particularly when it comes to learning and interacting with others.  In terms of social interactions, attention is necessary for having the mental energy to focus on what people are saying, processing what they are saying deeply enough to garner understanding, regulating what you want to say, and planning how you act during a social exchange.  Inhibiting inappropriate actions or responses within a social situation (e.g., fighting, name calling) also involves well-functioning attention. 

If you have concerns that your child is experiencing some social deficits, it can also be difficult to determine the nature of his or her problems.  Differentiating between social skills deficits, learning challenges, and emotional problems can be particularly difficult because there tends to be some overlap in these areas.  In fact, if your child struggles in one of these areas, it may be likely that he also struggles in another.  Therefore, overlap between social, emotional, and learning challenges is common, which can make appropriate treatment planning complex. While there are limitless numbers of resources available today on parenting, there is no one book or manual that tells you exactly what to do when confronted with the possibility that your child may need some extra support.  Nonetheless, there are some useful guidelines to keep in mind when determining whether your child’s social skills are developing appropriately.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Does my child have troubling making friends?
• Is my child able to maintain meaningful friendships over time?
• Are most social situations a challenge for my child (e.g., school, sports, youth groups)?
• Does my child withdraw from or refuse to participate in most social situations?
• Has my child’s teacher or pediatrician commented that he/she may benefit from an evaluation to better understand his/her social development?
• Does my child get into social conflicts (e.g., fights) with regularity?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be helpful to talk with your child and with the adults in your child’s life to determine how you can begin to help.  Depending on the severity of your child’s social skill deficits, there are a wide range of options available to help your child strengthen his or her social skills.  Further, research suggests that children with social skill deficits tend to benefit a great deal from on-going experiences and practice in social situations.
The following web and print resources can provide more information about strengthening your child’s social skills:
www.socialthinking.com
www.parentcoachcards.com
Jarvis Clutch – Social Spy by Mel Levine, MD
Socially Speaking by Alison Schroeder and Jacqueline M. Jomain

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