Dear Parents,
I’m a special education teacher. I am responsible for writing your child’s IEP. And then, once it’s all created and finalized, I’m responsible for making sure it gets implemented appropriately.
First, let me make it clear that I have your child’s best interest at heart.
I will never suggest anything less or anything more than your child needs. I know the struggle you must feel each day because you are a parent. A parent that wants what is best for their child, but a parent who may not know the right questions to ask or the right way to ask it.
People may not tell you this because they may not want you to know, but you should know that you are in control. You can say, “This isn’t working,” or, “I think he/she needs something different” at any time during the year and you can ask that the IEP team get together to discuss a different plan for your child. You do not have to wait for an annual meeting and you do not have to wait until someone at the school calls you to give an update.
So, let me help you.
Because, though I’ve only been teaching for five years, I’ve sat through a number of IEP meetings and I know what it must feel like to have educational lingo thrown around, data sheets shoved at you, and a panel of people telling you what you should do with your child.
Here are a few questions you can ask to ensure you’re developing a plan that’s appropriate for your child.
That last one is particularly important. There may be times when you are confused because there is a LOT of information shared at these meetings. Please do not be afraid to have the evaluator explain herself again. Please do not feel as though you are being annoying by asking the teachers the same question over and over again. It is our job is to ensure that parents understand every little bit of information discussed at their child’s IEP meeting.
And, as I always tell the parents I work with, I am available any time you may have any questions or need clarification. Just send me a message, shoot me an e-mail, or contact me through any of my social media accounts. I will be sure to get back to you.
Questions of the Day:
- Have you attended an IEP as a parent? As a teacher? As an advocate? What would you add to this list?
Really great questions! As a teacher, there are so many parents that are against IEPs because they feel like it labels their child and that’s mostly because they just don’t understand it. By asking these questions they will get so much more clarification and know what they can do to help. Nikki x
http://www.twentysomethingmuddle.com
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You have a really tough job. I admire teachers like you that do the noble work you do. I hope the parents appreciate what you do for their children.
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Thank you for sharing this! I homeschool, but one of the many reasons we chose this option, is because the schools where we moved to last year didn’t want to offer any plan for my oldest. They wouldn’t consider an IEP or a 504. He’s very intelligent, a few grade levels ahead, but struggles with ADD. So getting assignments in, tests, etc were challenging for him to do in their time frame. And they wanted us to move him out of the advanced classes he was in because they thought I was hindering him socially. I know I could have fought more for it, but it left a bad taste after they told me “we just want to save your son” because they didn’t think he should be in advanced classes for social reasons. He was in 7th advanced math as a 6th grader, straigt A’s, and tests at a highschool math level. So, with all the other reasons we had, we chose to Homeschool. But this would be super helpful if we find a different school, and decide to put him back in Public schools.
You are a wonderful teacher. The parents and children are so blessed to have you.
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This is something I’ve never experienced but I think I should know more about this because that’s how world works somewhere… really interesting read!
I love this! I’ve been to many IEP meetings for my son, who has autism.
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Great resource for parents. It’s always a good idea to make sure that you understand what is going on with your child, no matter the person or situation.
I agree with you, this is a tremendous resource for parents. Most parents often don’t know how much power they wield.
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Thanks for the great resource list of questions. I worked as a school social worker and there are many times your list of questions would have been a great help to parents.
I have been to many of these with two of my kids and I’ll be honest I didn’t at the time feel as if I had the control. I asked an unbelievable amount of questions and when it came to my daughter her actual teachers in the transitional first grade class were my heroes, it was a different time as she is 26 now but we had to fight for every service she received and the testing at a rehabilitation hospital, It’s nice to see that much has changed. Her teachers demanded she be tested not by the school system but by speech pathologists.
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These are excellent questions! I was a special education teacher for 13 years and I feel it is always extremely helpful to educate and empower parents, especially at IEPs! Thank you for this!
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Thank you for sharing this. I’ve recently signed up to be a surrogate parent for a special needs kid and so now I get to be on the other side of an IEP meeting.
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My youngest is currently in Kindergarten so I have had one conference with her teacher but really no IEP meetings. I think there is one coming up so I will keep an eye on this list and make sure I ask all the correct questions. This is great information that is very helpful for someone who has never been to one before!
These are awesome questions! I love the one asking for the teacher’s contact info. Of all my students with IEPs last semester, I heard from only one parent, and she’s a teacher in the same district. Reaching students takes work from everybody, but reaching students with IEPs especially requires a team.
It’s true! It’s also so crucial to get parents on board because we, as educators, are only temporarily in the child’s life. Parents are there for the whole shebang so they should be educated about the entire process! 🙂
i admire your dedication to the children you teach and their parents. i don’t have school aged kids and i can imagine once they are, i won’t know what to ask and where to begin. this is really helpful to all parents to engage in our children’s learning and their specific needs!
You must be a lovely teacher! Such a great little cheat sheet for parents!
I wish I had had this during my first meeting for my son! As parents you can be so clueless at times to what information you really need to know! This is great!
While I don’t yet have kiddos of my own- will keep this advice in mind for the future!
What a great post. There is such a stigma when it comes to having kids with learning disabilities and there shouldn’t be.
As I principal who has attended hundreds of IEP meetings in my 14 years as a principal, I heartily concur with your article. And, yes, I sincerely believe that you have your student’s best interests at heart.
You are doing a great job as a teacher, Divya! Parents are often scared to admit that their children need help but it’s better to embrace reality sooner than to suffer.
xoxo
Radhika
Expressing Life
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I do not have a special needs child, but I can see using some of these questions in a P/T conference. It’s great that you are providing resources like these for parents who don’t know what to ask.
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This is great and informative, I love that you start out by saying you have their child’s best interest at heart. So many parents can act defensive when it comes to their kids.
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My daughter isn’t special needs but the girl of a friend of mine and she really struggled accepting the fact that her daughter needed a little extra attention. I love the questions you suggest and saying that you donÄt mind repeating it over if a parent has problems understanding! That is what great teachers are made of! xxx
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I’d be interested to hear what the process is like in Germany! It varies state-by-state, but I wonder if the difference is drastic in a different country.
This is amazingly resourceful!!! This should does not have to be confined to parents of the learning disabled.
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I have been through I lot of IEP meetings for both learning delays and gifted. My frustration is when the teacher fails to read the IEP notes.
The impact you have on the lives of the children as a teacher is truly amazing! Those children are lucky to have you. This article has been very insightful.
This is so helpful! Going through this process can be fraught with anxiety. Knowing what questions to ask makes it less scary.
I haven’t been to an IEP before because my kids are too young. But I’ll definitely keep these questions in mind when I do in the future.
Belle | One Awesome Momma
I really like this. Although I have never had an IEP meeting myself, I know that it can be overwhelming and that the parents don’t really know what their role is or what to ask. Great post!
Kaitlyn
http://www.mypostpartumlife.com
Not been to IEP, but i definitely agree to liten to your child’s innate interests and skills before making a decision for him/her.
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I have no children so have never been to this type of meeting. You sound like you truly have the children’s interests at heart and are trying to make sure the parents thoroughly understand all that is discussed.
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I have attended at least one IEP meeting per years for 14 years now. The best experiences have been in my son’s present school, where the IEP is not written by the teacher but rather by the entire team and me.
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I’m so glad to have seen this today – I have a friend who is struggling through the IEP process right now and she has been feeling really lost and afraid that her son will fall through the cracks in the educational system. I think this might help her, so I’m going to forward it along to her.
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This was a really good post, I hope it reaaches a lot of parents. Sometimes you just don’t know wahat you want or need to ask until you leave then you feel like you can’t keep ringing back and asking random questions all the time which really is silly as its your child but you’ve addressed it really well. I hope they have teachers like you when my son goes to school
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These are great questions! I had an IEP when I was in school and I can see my parents definitely asking these questions! xoxo
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This is great information. I don’t have any experience with this subject matter, but it’s always great to learn new things just in case. Thanks for the list of questions. I will save them.
This is a wonderful resource. I could imagine a lot of parents are not sure what questions to ask at an IEP meeting. Sharing this post!
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I think that it is really important to empower parents and help them understand what the IEP is for and that they can say what is or isn’t working from their point of view. The other thing I would encourage parents to do is ask “what can I do at home” to complement, and / or reinforce what you are doing in the classroom. I find things are always easier when everyone is on the same page.
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First off wow. I have never seen such an open cooperation regarding the IEP. It seems to be hush, hush here and it’s dragged out for so long that it obvious of its lack of priority. I do like your last suggestion. Please explain it to me again. Your already under a lot of strain and surrounded by maybe less then cooperative people so this confirmation of accurate facts is great!
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I have been on the teacher side of IEPs a few times and its always so hard. I love your advice!
You are obviously an excellent educator and I wish that every educator had the energy to be as patient as you. I was an educator for five years and you give incredible advice, especially when it comes to empowerment. I know this will help so many out there.
These are some great questions to ask during an IEP meeting. Wish I had them when my son was young and received speech therapy.
These are all great questions for parents to ask during an IEP meeting. My youngest daughter needed speech therapy when she started preschool and we had IEP meetings to keep on top of things. I enjoyed getting all the information on what was going on with her and what the plans were for me at home to help.
I think we need more posts like this – I totally feel that IEP’s catch us totally off guard and parents need to be more aware of their rights.
As a 15-year educator I would suggest adding a few to the list:
How will I see the accommodations on individual assignments? ( I frequently get emails from my high school students’ parents asking if their IEPs are being followed, but all my accommodations are in the computer).
What to we need to have in the IEP so his/her accommodations are approved for state testing?
What will/does the transition plan look like for a student like my child?
These are extremely thoughtful questions. Thank you for adding to the list!
Thank you for sharing this post. It can be tough to be a parent of a child with a disability. My son has ADHD and he is extremely smart and sweet but he does struggle greatly with the impulsivity and sometimes people don’t understand that which makes him frustrated. Having the conversation with the teacher sometimes is a challenge myself because I’m not always sure what to ask so this was very helpful.
I love the last part of the list “Can you please explain that again?” We really had to confirm and be rest assured about the child’s development and his needs. Our observation and decision can make or break our child’s future.
I have a friend who also teaching in special education, and I admire her patience and perseverance to teach these kids. And she said she is happy. Well, seeing these kids also love their teacher is the awesome sight you could see everyday 🙂
Wow, what a special job you have! Glad these kids have someone like you looking out for them.
Love that you outlined this. The only downside is that I hate that our system has come to having to put kids on IEP’s vs just helping them.
I am pretty much in awe of teachers. I swear it has to be the hardest job on the planet. These are fantastic questions to ask. I always hate myself after meeting with teachers because I didn’t ask certain questions. Thanks for sharing!
When I worked as a children therapist, I went with a parent as she felt overwhelmed because she really didn’t know what to ask or to expect. Your questions are perfect as we asked questions similar to yours and she felt like she had a voice in the matter and she began to understand clearer what was going on with her child and what she could do to help.
IEP meeting is something that I should get prepared. My son is only 2 so I have no idea how he interacts with playmates and at school. I think this meeting is a great iea for your child’s sake
I don’t have a child so I’m not familiar with these meetings but I think it’s important to have especially if you’re concerned about your child’s learning environment. I like the questions, they cover everything that needs to be covered for a parent to have peace of mind.
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Glad to know that you’re going an extra mile to help the parents of your students to reach you! I’m sure this will help parents!
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im so not familiar with any of these terms but i can smell your passion throughout this post. so proud of you!!!!
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Divya, I hope this post reaches the parents it’s written to because if they can hear what you’re saying and take it to heart, they’ll be encouraged. I can tell you care about your students. It takes strength and humility to accept the pushback that comes from a family member who simply needs more information or is simply confused and concerned about their child.
It’s nice to have a post like this to act as a guideline for parents who are coming into this king of meeting for the first time. We’re often clueless but would like to learn more about our children’s education and what’s best for them.
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Divya your post was so informational and helpful.
I hope lots of parents can use it as a guide for themselves and also forward it to their family and friends that might benefit from it.
You are an awesome teacher Mrs. DBM so full of love and care for your students.
I enjoyed reading all the encouraging words you got from your followers.
God Bless You for being a noble soul in the lives of your students and their families.
KUDOS to you………
This is a fantastic resource for parents – I imagine this could be a highly emotional time for parents, and this provides a great script to make sure nothing gets missed.
You sound like the best teacher! I’m not to sure what a IEP meeting is, but this post would reassure me if I was having one.
Lennae xxx
http://www.lennaesworld.com
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A great assortment of some very relevant questions. I always enjoy reading informational and helpful articles that offer new insight into things that i wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
I have a 27-year-old son who is physically and developmentally disabled. I have been to countless IEP meetings in the past and we spent years fighting for services. Unfortunately, not all parents are lucky enough to have special ed teacher who is as informed or caring as you seem to be. It’s great you are looking out for parents.
what a great post! in all honesty I have never came across a post about IEP questions! love it. thank you for putting this together for parents
I’ve heard about these meetings but I’ve never been to one. I think it’s nice that you have these set of questions for the parents. It’s important that they know everything that the teacher plans for their child’s education. I appreciate your efforts as an educator to work with the parents of your students.
thanks for providing a great summary
Good read and something to keep in mind for when I have children.
battling the school system and getting an IEP is a tough road. I started on it last year and in the end I am so glad I did. Thank you for this!
This is such a good info! I’m really happy that you shared it, this is worth reading. I’ll spread it as well.
How wonderful. I have a daughter and a son who are on an IEP. I think its really wonderful, and wish the schools around here really implemented them more its been a real struggle to get them too but the teachers who write them up and discussed them all with me were always great.
I’m not a parent yet so I can’t relate to this but the questions you listed are so well thought out but not overwhelming if you see what I mean 🙂
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Really thoughtful and informative post and great list of questions! I don’t have kids but I think it’s so great what you do as a teacher!
I loved reading this. I have some friends that have been nervous when it comes to these meetings.
I am sure that this is on the mind of so many parents. They have no idea what they are supposed to ask or what they should even be told in these meetings.
This is SO great! We went through something similar this year with my kiddo’s ADHD and it can be so daunting trying to explain it to the school!
This is a great resource! Thank you so much for sharing it! My son is only 5 months so I have no idea if this is something that he will ever need, but in case he does I now know what to keep in mind!
Bravo and Thank You for what you do. I know o dont teach my child but your love of positively impacting children’s lives shines thru. Keep on doing the good work! And thanks for sharing I am gonna share this!
I absolutely love this! My son has a speech delay so I found myself out of meeting doing an IEP two years ago and this is great info for any moms out there that are needing guidance ❤
What a great article. Very helpful and a great resource. Thanks for sharing.
This is something I’ve never personally experienced. However, I am a firm believer that when it comes to YOUR child, don’t let other people tell you whats best for them. I love this post because tis so encouraging and its giving the parents a chance to see that they have the upper hands in such meetings and cases. a chance that they would not have otherwise got.
Thanks for sharing
These are great questions. So far my kids haven’t been diagnosed with any learning disabilities.
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IT’s always good to go in prepared. A list of questions ensures you don’t forget anything on your mind.
This is something I’ve never experienced . however i am gonna pass this along to a few of my friends with children. i am sure they can use this advice.
This is great insight for parents with special needs kids. I think it can really help them have better understanding of IEP meetings.
These are some really great ideas. I’ll be passing this along to my friends.
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This is such a helpful post for parents not sure about what they can and should ask to get more clarification. You sound like an amazing teacher!
It’s nice to get a history of your job. I just contributed to an IEP today.
Given some of the circumstances, I think it’s best for the parents to ask a lot and clarify everything even it gets to the point where things might get redundant. Glad there’s an open and honest feeling from a teacher such as you, this should very well pave the way for others.
I really respect this profession. It’s not easy being a genuine second parent to kids. Often times, they’re even better than the real ones and I’m not just saying! Anyway, good read, a lot of parents will have confidence in their questions now.
I have never experienced an IEP meeting so far, but I am sure I am going to be ready for it in next few years when my kids grow further. I think you are doing a great job in making sure that the kids are able to achieve their goals easily!
great information. i haven’t had to do an IEP meeting but many of my good friends do and i know how frustrating the can be.
It’s so important for parents to advocate for their children academically. They need to know their rights when it comes to the IEP process.
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I love this! I used to be a one on one for children in IEP meetings and acted as a liaison for families and schools. I had so many parents have issues with knowing what to ask and this is a great list. I especially love the “take me through my child’s typical day” question because it really gives a lot of insight.
x
Missy
Popofstyle.com
I used to teach in a poor border town and the one thing I wish I could have really communicated to the parents was that they knew their child and could fight for what they needed. They didn’t have to submit to teachers and administrators just because we had degrees and big words in a language they barely understood.
Great, thank you. I did not know what IEP meetings means, but now I know 😀
A very helpful post for parents. It’s a perfect guideline. Gonna share this to my friends who
s already a parent.
I am not a parent yet but hoping to be one. Thanks for sharing this info.
You have a wonderful and at the same time hard job. You have very interesting questions here. I like teachers like you and believe that children and parents love you also.
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These are excellent tips and reminders for parents to have when they go on an IEP. It can get overwhelming and so parents should not be afraid to ask #10 over and over again.
This is great info dear. Its important for parents to know and remember that you are on their side and that you want to help them help their child. Sometimes us parents forget that.
I don’t have idea on IEP meeting I haven’t try to attend this meeting, But I think it’s a guideline for the child
Bookmarking this post for my future reference. Thanks for sharing!
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This is some great helpful information with parents of children with special needs. I am sure my parents went to a few IEP meetings for my autistic brother growing up.
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My son has an intellectual disability and found it hard to (or didn’t want to) communicate what he did during the day. Any problems caused anxiety and school refusal.
One of my IEP questions was always “How, and how often, will you communicate with me?” Mostly we had a diary which was sent home daily. It was usually filled in by the teacher’s aide who’d tell us the days schedule and how my son fared. Any problems and the teacher filled it in. It was also a way of me requesting information or letting them know anything relevant that happened at home.
He’s an adult at a day center now and we communicate when needed via an iPad notes thread.
This is an amazing post to highlight such important things. Keep on sharing such valuable content.