Comments on: gearing up for our third IEP

By: Which Does Your Child Need: IEP or 504b? | Different Dream

Which Does Your Child Need: IEP or 504b? | Different Dream — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:11:19 +0000

[...] – I found the cute t-shirt in the picture at http://www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com. Check it [...]

By: IEP tips from moms

IEP tips from moms — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:44:17 +0000

[...] comments from my post last week were so fantastic, I must share them with everyone. Here is a compiled list of tips for IEP [...]

By: Coley

Coley — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:06:27 +0000

I agree about being positive. It seems in the past that they have had so much negative (what he's not doing, what he should be doing, what he does wrong) to say about my son that at the end of the meetings, I'd ask them all to tell me one positive thing about my son……

I think walking in with confidence and knowing who your child really is is half the battle.

By: Astacia

Astacia — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:37:09 +0000

You all have such wonderful tips! Thanks I am going to compile them for next week.

Janet- IFSPs are a different animal. Often, you can get services simply by asking. Team up with your teacher and/or FSC and get the details of what's required to get the services you feel your child needs. Sometimes you need a letter of necessity written by a therapist or doctor. Often, it's just that the FSC is trained not to offer anything unless requested.

By: Stacey Harris

Stacey Harris — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:09:45 +0000

Stay focused on the positive of your child, listen to that voice in your head. If you don't think you are being heard, give some complements.(Then ask for what you want)
Also mention that your child is not defiant,and ask the staff to not take the behaviors personally. Bring someone with you, even if they just are quiet and take notes–
Be prepared, bring enough copies of any recent testing or paperwork from outside sources.
Try to come to the meeting with ideas on how to work in tandom with all the people invovled.
blog about it after words?! blogging has really helped me not send out mean and nasty emails! :0)

By: Finding Normal

Finding Normal — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:42:23 +0000

Love this! We just went through our first IEP as Addison entered preschool. We're currently battling transportation because their proposal was that she ride 60-90 minutes one way with a transfer. It's amazing that they are now re-vamping the entire system, probably because we mentioned that we had talked to Addison's physicians, an attorney, and organizations who support children with special needs and all agreed that the current system was NOT okay.
I say take your state's law (Indiana's is called Article 7 and is 147 pages long) and now your rights.

By: Janet Callahan

Janet Callahan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:40:30 +0000

We're looking at re-doing our IEP/IFSP due to some difficulties that have come up…and my son is only 16 months old. More tips, please!

By: amy

amy — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:17:21 +0000

Thanks for the tips. I am about to go through this for the first time in the next couple months.

By: Janet

Janet — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:49:00 +0000

My IEP tips -

~ never go alone (I'm a single parent)
~ be positive
~ assume that everyone in the room is doing the best they can
~ remember, the school generally is looking at the next year, while us parents need to look at the bigger picture
~ depending on the age of the child, have them write or you write an introductory letter, with pictures telling the IEP team who your child is, what they like to do, what their strengths are (you want to build on strengths), tell them the funny things your child does.
~ to get services you must talk deficits, this is hard because we know how wonderful our child is. Acknowledge this and take a box of Kleenex if you need to.
~ when the school says that can't because it is against policy, politely ask them for a copy of the policy.

By: tesyaa

tesyaa — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:11:34 +0000

This is so helpful — it's great to see everything in one place. It's also great to see someone with a positive attitude who has had positive experiences.