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What Can You Offer the IEP or IFSP Process?
In the final analysis, parents of children with disabilities should be involved in the IEP or IFSP process as much as they want to be and as much as they can be. The following are suggestions for ways parents can become involved:
- Before attending an IEP or IFSP meeting, make a list of things you want your child to learn.
- Bring any information the school or agency may not already have to the IEP or IFSP meeting. Examples include copies of medical records, past school records, and test and medical evaluation results.
- Discuss what related services your child may need. Your child may need to be involved with many other specialists and professionals besides his or her teacher, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, or speech-language pathologists.
- Discuss what assistive technology devices or services your child may need and have these listed in your child's IEP or IFSP.
- Ask what you can do at home to support the program.
- Make sure the goals and objectives listed in the IEP or IFSP are specific and measurable.
- Periodically, ask for a report on your child's progress.
- Regard your child's education as a cooperative effort. If, at any point, you and the school cannot reach an agreement over your child's educational and developmental needs, ask to have another meeting. Remember, compromise on your part and the school's or agency's part may be important in resolving conflicts and maintaining a good working relationship. If, after a second meeting, there is still a conflict over your child's program, you may wish to ask for a state mediator or a due process hearing.
What Resources Are Available?
Many organizations have information to help guide you through the special education process. Since the specific criteria and procedures used by school districts vary, it is important to familiarize yourself with the information provided by state and local agencies. You will find your local school district's director of special education and his or her staff helpful in accessing such information and guiding you through the process.
Additional resources are available from national disability organizations. Some of them have state and local chapters that can provide more locally based support. All states now have federally supported parent information and training centers. The contacts cited below may be able to help you locate such a center in your state:
ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 22091-1589
800-328-0272
703-264-9474
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
PO Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013-1492
800-695-0285
202-884-8200
Available from Amazon.com: The Complete IEP Guide : How to Advocate for Your Special Ed. Child
Sources
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (1993). NICHCY Briefing Paper. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs): Federal Regulations and Appendix C to Part 300. Washington, DC.
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (1993). NICHCY News Digest. Questions and Answers about the IDEA, Volume 3, Number 2. Washington, DC.
Written by the staff of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education.
This publication was prepared by ACCESS ERIC in association with the ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under Contract No. RR92024001. The opinions expressed in this brochure do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. The brochure is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted.
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