Comments on: Learning To Make Sense Of An IEP

By: Provigra-x.

Provigra-x. — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:26:40 +0000

Provigra-x cheap….

Provigra-x. Provigra-x cheap….

By: This Just In: IEP Edition

This Just In: IEP Edition — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:02:38 +0000

[...] my recent post Learning to Make Sense of an IEP, I asked for everyone to share their favorite resources on the topic of advocacy and special [...]

By: danette

danette — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:47:49 +0000

This is a great post, and you’re right Wrightslaw is an excellent resource!

By: Melody

Melody — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:08:13 +0000

Trish, while I homeschool my sons I have been and my husband works within the school system with and for children with special needs. You have provided excellent resources and food for thought, as have all who have commented. It is almost unbelievable how many parents have no knowledge of their rights regarding their children’s education.

By: Nan

Nan — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:59:34 +0000

Thanks for the links. I have been to ARD meetings and worked with the staff making adjustments and changes to what they have suggested, unfortunately thus far it has done little much to help my son at school.

I need to be more specific and set short timelines for progress. Like has been said before don’t go in ready to fight but be informed so you advocate rather than fight for your child’s needs. Knowledge is power.

By: Becky

Becky — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:14:02 +0000

When I went to my first IEP meeting for my oldest son I didn’t have anything to go on. I didn’t have time to research anything. I was told the special ed rep was a pain, didn’t care to listen to what the parents had to say and that many families had to go through legal aide to get services for their child. Yet nothing like that happened with me. He listened he questioned me to learn more and approved services at the end of the meeting.
My advice is to keep an open mind and don’t listen to what others have gone through because there is a good chance it won’t be the same experience for you. I not only met with him for my oldest son…but for all 3 of my children and when it came time for my youngest he was cracking jokes with me! The other team members at the end were in shock because they have never seen him joking around during meetings before!

By: Trish

Trish — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:56:15 +0000

Casey, those are great points. I meet a lot of parents who don’t know they can ask for the IEP draft ahead of time. And it’s so good to know you don’t have to go into a meeting alone, especially when the process and terminology is so new!

Thanks Jen & Krystal for continuing the conversation. It is a very important one and can be very tricky because everyone comes at it from a different place, with their own experiences and emotions coming into play. I agree with you both wholeheartedly that if parents can view advocacy as a positive opportunity to participate with the team, the child will benefit.

For me personally, the more knowledge I have about the way things work in the educational system, the better I am able to keep negative emotions such as fear or insecurity from taking over. I’d love to hear what resources you have found that are the most helpful in this area!

By: Krystal

Krystal — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:33:17 +0000

Jen – you are so right – we do need to make a team effort and we do fight for our kids at all times, not just when things are negative. (I guess fight is not the right word huh? – I mean advocate)

There are plenty of teachers, providers, therapists, etc that are out there to help and many parents don’t see that because sometimes we put our blinders on and see the negatives and forget about the positives.

The issue is usually with the administration though that causes the rifts because they are not interacting with the child and do not know the child too well and then the teachers are caught between the parents, the administrators, etc.

But you definately bring up a good point!

By: jen

jen — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:12:38 +0000

sorry to take over the comments…
but i truly believe also that advocacy is best used ALL THE TIME! i don’t think that it should only be used when there are problems…i advocate for my children all the time as well. it’s what we do as parents.
i just was indicating that i feel that parents need to be aware that we TOO are advocating for their children! i want parents to know that i’m trying my best too! nothing makes me more frustrated than a parent that enters a meeting destined to challenge rather than team-up.
you know your child more than anyone. but, we all need to be team members right off the bat. creating expectations of someone else often causes the recipient to be on the defense. that’s not how to create a well functioning team.
i would love to discuss this further as i feel it is an area of definite need. we all need to be better educated in how to work together in the best interest of our children!

By: Casey

Casey — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:43:56 +0000

Before my children were born, I was a special education teacher, and there were a couple things that I always wanted to make sure the parents knew. One, they should be able to get a rough draft or outline of the IEP and what the teachers are proposing a day or two in advance so they don’t go into the meeting with no bearings, and two, you as a parent can bring any one you want to the meeting. If you are nervous, you can bring a friend or family member. You can bring your child to part or all of it. I often had the children sit in on the IEP when we were discussing their strengths (in particular) and weaknesses (for some older kids). Finally, bring a pen and paper (or ask for one) to write down notes or questions for things you want to say and make sure to say it! In my opinion, the parent(s) is/are the most important team member(s). The IEP should be a plan the parent feels good about, and the parent should be able to have as much input into it as he/she wants.