Partnering with Families

Most students with individualized education programs (IEPs) are served within general education classrooms for at least some of their school days. Students with disabilities are getting different needs met in different environments with different services throughout the day.

The student's IEP is based on their unique needs – not on their disability category.  Knowing more about IEPs, IEP meetings, and how to work together with your school team can ensure a student's needs are being met and they are poised for independence and success. 

Tips to Prepare for an IEP Meeting

Share Your Concerns

Every IEP document has a section to record your concerns about your child’s education, and you can draft your list of concerns as well as share them in advance with your child’s case manager. These concerns can be anything you want the IEP team to consider including, academic or functional skills, social-emotional or safety issues, or IEP services or supports.

Communicate

The final but most important tip is to provide the school with the kind of communication you would like to receive. When you are candid about your concerns, the school can invite appropriate school personnel to the meeting. When you ask questions, the school can provide information and data before the meeting. When you and the school team communicate about your child’s needs and skills, the focus of the meeting stays on the student.

Team Members in IEP Meetings

Student Involvement 

Talk to the IEP team about how to include your child’s input, how to have your child attend, and – eventually – how your child can take on some of the leadership of their own IEP meetings. By at least age 16, students should be invited to attend IEP meetings and by age 18, most students will be making decisions about their own IEPs.

Other Meeting Team Members

The IEP team may also include other people with special knowledge of the student or their educational needs such as:

• Professionals who have assessed or provide services to the student
• Staff who are knowledgeable about programs or policies at the school

It is common for some of the school team members to attend only a portion of the IEP team meeting. But this does not apply to the key team members (special education teacher,  the school administrator, and if applicable, the general education teacher).
If you believe that a particular team member needs to be present for the entire meeting, then please talk to your case manager in advance.

Families and Their Invited Participants

Parents or caregivers are vital members of the IEP team. They know their child best and can talk about strengths and needs
Parents or caregivers can also invite a support person to help navigate the process or someone who has knowledge of the student and can benefit the IEP team discussion. 

Waiver Excusal Forms

Sometimes an IEP team member will not be able to attend the meeting because of unexpected circumstances. Using an excusal form, the school should document when team members are not able to participate. Parents or caregivers can choose to excuse the team member or request that the meeting be rescheduled.

 

Seven Facts About Receiving Special Education Services

However, ADR may not be the best option if you want a judge to decide or if you want to be able to share the outcome with others. At any time with ADR, a parent or guardian can change their mind and choose another option. 

ADR Options Available from the East County SELPA

There are several options for support from the East County SELPA that can be tried on in any way that best suits the needs of your family:

• Confidential parent-to-parent support by an Exceptional Family Resource Center (EFRC) parent program specialist 
• Confidential intake consultation, which is a conversation with the East County SELPA’s ADR coordinator 
• A facilitated IEP meeting with a neutral facilitator provided at no cost to your family 
• A solutions meeting which is similar mediation, but can be less stressful (see next section on Solutions Meetings)

Parents or guardians can also request ADR through their school or district. 

Solutions Meetings

The meetings are held at a date and time that works for everyone, with the parent or guardian's preference on whether it is virtual or in-person. 

There are three possible outcomes in a solutions meeting:

• Agreement
• No agreement
• Agree to schedule another meeting

Agreements are more likely to occur when parents or guardians and the school approach the solutions meeting with a creative and flexible mindset.

No matter what, the outcome is decided by the parent or caregiver and the school.

Cal-ABLE is a savings and investment plan offered by the state of California to individuals with disabilities, where eligible individuals, family, friends and employers can contribute up to $16,000 a year without affecting the account beneficiary's public disability benefits. Cal-ABLE account owners who work can contribute even more to their accounts. Best of all, earnings on qualified withdrawals from a Cal-ABLE account are federal and California state tax-free.