You: Huh? What does any of this have to do with my baby? This is my baby. Do they know that this is my baby?
Sound familiar? Then you may have been to what is affectionately called in special needs parenting circles “The Dreaded IEP Meeting.” IEP stand for Individualized Education Program and is the basis for all special education services that are provided to a student in the public school system.
I am the mother of two special needs children with IEPs. I am also a school based speech therapist. I have attended hundreds of ARC (Admissions and Release Committee) meetings. A handful of them have been for my own children. The rest have been for someone else’s child. On many occasions, I have found myself thinking, “Wow, this process is so complicated. It must be incredibly difficult for a parent without insider knowledge to navigate this system and truly understand what is being discussed and decided about their child’s education. I wish there was a simpler way.”
I cannot hope in the next few paragraphs to impart to you even the basics of the special education process. What I hope to do instead, is to point you in the direction of some resources that you can use to educate yourself in special education “due process.” I also hope to provide you some helpful suggestions from the perspective of someone who has spent a great deal of time on both sides of that conference room table.
- Understand the Process
--Familiarize yourself with the special education process. It is daunting. But don’t feel like you have to have a degree in special ed law just to get your kid some speech therapy. My best advice: Google it! A simple internet search should provide you with the basics. If you have a specific question, look it up. You’re probably not the first person to ask it. Some websites that I have found that can help you unravel some of the ins and outs special education are http://www.specialeducationguide.com/pre-k-12/individualized-education-programs-iep/ and http://www.wrightslaw.com/.
And don’t forget good old Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_education_in_the_United_States).
--Always have a feel for the purpose of the meeting you are about to attend before you walk into the room and the papers and acronyms start flying at you. Having knowledge of how the process works will make you more confident and much more effective in helping your child get the best educational outcomes.
--Also, before, during and after an ARC meeting ASK QUESTIONS! Ask your child’s teachers, the special education director, the principal, the therapists, even the secretary who signs you into the building. You know she’s got the goods. Ask anything that will help you better advocate for your child. Which brings me to my next point…
- You are an Equal Participant
--By law, you are an equal participant in all educational decisions made about your child. The purpose of the ARC is to come to a consensus about what is best for the child considering all the data and opinions that are brought to the table. As a parent or legal guardian you must be informed of and agree upon all meetings, evaluations, plans and programs that pertain to your child. However, you are not an equal when it comes to being an advocate for your child. You are the MOST IMPORTANT person in the world when it comes to your child. Don’t abdicate your role because you feel insecure or intimidated. That’s why you did all that Googling before you came. Additionally, if you feel that you will need support during the meeting, bring that support person with you.
--As the parent or guardian, you are permitted to bring anyone to an ARC meeting that you choose. It could be an outside therapist, an educational advocate, your spouse, your lawyer, or your momma. When you sit in a room and listen to someone bluntly describe the strengths and weaknesses of your child, it can be extremely emotional. Your mind flashes back to the hopes and dreams you had for them as a little one. It races forward to a future which may now be clouded with worry and uncertainty. You may need someone there to support you emotionally or keep you focused on the task at hand.
- Stay Organized
The special education process is not a friend to the environment. It produces a mountain of paperwork at each and every meeting and you get a hard copy of every document that is created in that process. When your child begins receiving special education services, create a well organized filing system so that you can keep track of important papers. Be sure to read over the documents that you receive after a meeting to make sure they are accurate.
Recently I was in a meeting for my son where we had a lengthy discussion about his physical therapy services. We came to a decision and that decision was agreed upon by everyone in the room. Later, when I read back over the IEP at home, there was no mention of the therapy services we had agreed upon. I contacted his special education teacher and she followed up with the ARC chairperson who made the necessary changes and reprinted the document. Had I not happened to catch that error, there may have been a lapse in services the following year when he switched schools and therapists. I always like to go into my child’s ARC meeting with my huge file folder in hand. That way I am able to reference previous evaluations and plans if necessary during the meeting. It also shows my child’s teachers that I am fully aware of the educational services that my child should be receiving and I expect follow through on services.
- Be the Squeaky Wheel
In closing, let me step up one more time onto my advocacy soap box. 99.9% of the time the person who is charged with providing services to your child in the school system is a competent, compassionate, well-educated, well-intentioned individual who is committed to seeing your child succeed academically and socially. However, 99.9% of the time that same person is struggling under the weight of a caseload that is a little too large, paperwork that is a little too tedious, and the stresses of a personal life that is a little too busy. This is where your emails, calls, and visits do make a difference.
--Ask for ways that you can support at home what is being learned in school and then actually DO what is recommended. Each contact with your child’s teacher or therapist is going to help ensure that your child is receiving not only the quantity of services that are required but the quality of services that you want. It’s the school’s responsibility to provide a free, appropriate education for your child. It’s your job to make sure the school does its job.
If you would like more information or a list of resources, please check out our Special Programs for Special Needs page.