mardi 11 décembre 2018

IEP Help For Parents In Managing The Process

By Amy Ward


When you are raising a youngster with learning disabilities, it can be very challenging to get him the kind of individualized education program that fits his special needs and situation. Working with bureaucracies and academics can be frustrating and isolating. There is good news though. IEP help for parents is out there in the form of other parents who have faced the same issues and are sharing what their experiences have taught them.

These parents say that arming yourself with as much information as possible when it comes to the rights of your child is one of the most important things you can do. You can go online and search, check out library books, and join support groups locally and online. Communicating with other individuals who have gone through the same challenges you are facing is empowering. Not only will they have good advice, they are people who will laugh and cry right along with you.

You should ask for a copy of the IEP before you go into a meeting. This will give you time to read over it and give a copy to any professional, like a doctor, a lawyer, an advocate, or a neurologist, to look over and comment on. When you attend your meeting you will be in a position to ask intelligent questions and offer constructive comments regarding the contents of the report. You should also have a copy of your youngster's evaluation before a meeting so you have time to discuss it with independent professionals.

Parents don't have to sign off on the report during the meeting. They have the right to read and digest the information before they sign. Experienced parents say changes are often made in the meeting that require time to study. It is fairly common to find factual errors, incorrect listings and omissions.

You can send it back with your signature once you are comfortable that everything is correct. Sending information by certified mail is another suggestion experienced parents make. This way you know the school received the information, and you have a record of who signed.

It's your right to have a professional come to the meeting with you, or for you to introduce a professional's letter into meeting records. Bringing an outside professional can be a good idea. This individual often speaks the same language as the academics and can make your points more precisely than you could.

You also have the right to tape record a meeting. You probably won't meet much resistance from teachers if you mention it beforehand. Taping is better than note taking. You can give the educators your full attention during a meeting and have a complete record of it for later.

Meeting with the teacher at the beginning of the year is important. You should bring a copy of the report because a lot of teachers won't see it otherwise. You can also request an IEP meeting whenever you are concerned that your child's need aren't being met.




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