IEP Cheat Sheet - Very Good

[Guest guest]

This is a very good document for those new (and maybe not so new) to

the IEP process. As you're painfully aware, the IEP process can be

terrible. You need to be assertive and push becasue if you don't

you're child could get shortchanged.

I think every parent that has an IEP discussion should prepare a

completed IEP for their child in advance. They should determine

what is needed and what they are legally entitled to. If you don't,

you let the school district start with their proposed IEP and you're

on the defensive from the very beginning and you've basically agreed

that their version will be the template for the final.

When completing an IEP in advance, you need to have good support.

Academically, the state provides standards (on the State Board of

Education's website) for each subject and each grade K-12. It's

pretty hard for a public school district to tell you that they don't

have to do everything they can to keep your kid up to minimum state

standards. Socially, they need to accept that they have to keep

your kid up to speed socially as the law clearly states that if a

lack of social skills inhibits the educational experience then that

can be in an IEP. Thus, if a kid has poor coordination,

occupational therapy is warranted.

The key is that the IEP, by law, must be specific to the child. The

school district cannot say that they only offer A and B when C is

clearly the best. If you bring in any doctor's notes or letters

that support C, then C it should be (rather must be).

In any event, I strongly advocate the parent creating the IEP in

advance so that the parent's document steers the conversation and

not the school district's version. This cheat sheet goes a long way

to help someone not familiar with the process get started.