You are at the head of that long, oak table in the conference room. Among the participants, the principal, a general education teacher, and two concerned parents. The table is strewn about with stacks of papers, pens, data, and a copy of “Whose IDEA is This?”. As you trace your eyes over the title, you think to yourself, yeah, whose idea was this anyways?!
I have participated in over 600 IEP meetings. Let’s address the elephant in the room: IEP meetings can be awkward. They can be stuffy, tense, and exhausting.
A parent once told me they would rather have a root canal than be there for the IEP meeting. A ROOT CANAL!
It doesn’t have to be this way, follow this plan to organize an enjoyable meeting:
Reframe Your Mind
First: reframe your mind. The IEP meeting is not a battleground. It is not a school yard. It is a collaborative, team approach necessary for a special education student to receive a free and appropriate public education.
So, let’s establish some ground rules on both sides of the table: no name calling (yes, I’ve seen it), no sighing, no rolling of the eyes, no accusations!
Mutual respect is the key to setting up an IEP meeting staff and parents want to attend.
Establish mutual respect and you will earn trust. Gain trust, and you will engage and empower parents, students, and teachers in a true, effective, collaborative approach to education.
Prep:
Before you even pick up the phone to agree on the meeting date, do your homework. Talk to teachers, review progress, look over educational history, the most recent IEP, and the most recent ETR. Jot down some notes, and come up with a broad vision for the next IEP. If you are anything like me, you know the kids on your caseload better than your own kids sometimes. This step shouldn’t take long.
Why?
Think about a time you were in a meeting at work when the person you were meeting with seemed unprepared. They stumbled over their words. They spoke without conviction and without confidence. Now think of a time you had a meeting at work where the person was amply prepared. They could answer any question you had and they anticipated questions before you even asked them. They probably spoke confidently as well. Who did you trust more?
Being amply prepared yields trust. Parents are putting their child’s education in your hands. Prove you are responsible enough to take care of it.
Ask Good Questions
When it is time to pick up the phone to schedule the meeting you will also want to present your loose plan and ask a couple of really good questions. The two questions I like to ask are:
What do you think is going well this school year (or if it is an IEP at the beginning of the year-- what went well last school year?
What are some of your concerns this school year?
This is the crucial part-- actively listen. Don’t interject your wisdom. We are therapists-- it is our nature to want to save the world with our therapy brains! Wait. You will have your time. The floor belongs to your parents in this step.
Why?
At our clinics I work with many families whose children are also receiving services in the schools. Due to the rapport that comes naturally in the clinic setting, it isn’t uncommon for parents to bring IEPs to me and ask my opinion.
The one thing I hear repeatedly: “They just don’t listen to me at that school.”
Translation: They don’t value my opinion about my own child.
Actively listening with empathy confirms with the parents that you also want what’s is best for their child. It also shows that you value their opinions, that you don’t have an agenda, and that you want to work together as a team.
To give a sports analogy (it is an IEP team, right?); teams have owners. The parents are the owners of the IEP team. Therefore, they have the most important insights. It is not our job to preach, it is our job to guide and educate. Asking those questions should allow you to solidify your plan. It will also allow you to anticipate any questions that may come about in the actual meetings.
What it looks like:
Hi _____,This is Matt, the SLP from <school district>. It is that time of the year again when we sit down to schedule <students> IEP. Would <day, date, time> work for a meeting?
I also wanted to talk to you about progress and goals. I met with his teachers and have reviewed everything going on with his therapy. I am thinking X, Y, and Z based on this information. But, before I put that in the IEP, I wanted to get some feedback from you first. What do you think is going well this year? ….. (Listen)… What are some concerns you have?....(listen)…
I appreciate you taking the time to help me to understand some of the things you are seeing on your end. This information will really help me formulate a solid plan for <student>. Would it be okay to send the draft on <date> via email?
The Teacher Chat
You have completed the prep and now you should have a solid plan. Take all of this information back to your teachers, especially the one who will be attending the meeting. Make sure you get all of their questions and concerns addressed and you are on the same page.
Why?
There is nothing worse than a rogue teacher at an IEP meeting. Just like you want to earn the respect and be on the same team as a parent, the same goes for the teacher. They care about their students and their opinions are very important. A synchronized teacher/therapist team is the best!
What it looks like:
Hi ____,
I just got off the phone with Mrs. ____. I told her everything we discussed and she told me about X, Y, Z. Based on what we had in mind and what she is thinking, I think we can make Q, R, S, work and that it would be a solid plan for ______. What do you think?
The Draft
Finally, it is time to write your draft. If you thoroughly completed all the steps above, your draft should end up being pretty darn close to the official document. Make sure you are using parent friendly language and your goals and objectives are clear. If you aren’t sure, try the stranger test:
Take out the names and read the goals to someone unrelated to the case. If they can make sense of it, you’re okay.
*When the draft is complete, I prefer to send it via email to avoid it getting lost in the book bag vortex.
*if you have the security capabilities within your email to do so. Otherwise, sending home in sealed folder with an email to the parent to be on the lookout works great.
What it looks like:
Dear _____, Attached is the IEP draft for our meeting on day, month time at location. I am hoping it reflects our discussions and the discussions that I had with the educational team here at school. If you should have any questions before the meeting, please reach out. Otherwise, I will see you on Day, at time.
Tie a Ribbon on it!
If you effectively set up the IEP meeting, all that should be left to do when you actually meet is to tie a ribbon on it! When you take the time to appropriately set up an IEP meeting, you will find the meetings more positive, and the parents, teachers, and staff will walk away feeling encouraged and determined to make this IEP the best yet!
I’d love to hear from you!
Parents, what do you appreciate about your educational team when they are preparing an IEP for your child?
Therapists, what are some of the helpful things you do when preparing an IEP meeting?
Administrators, are there any policies that your school district has put in place that help make IEP meetings run smoothly?
Labels: Schools
