When it comes to navigating school, IEPs might be the one thing parents dread the most. It’s not just the meetings — it’s the paperwork, the emails, the sheer number of people, the stress of making sure nothing gets overlooked. It’s walking into a room where everyone seems to be speaking a different language and feeling the weight of advocating for your child. If you’ve been through an IEP meeting (or a few), you already know — it’s a lot. While we can’t make the process magically easier, a little prep — the Undivided way — can go a long way in helping you feel more confident and less out of place. Most importantly, it helps ensure your child gets the support they need to have a great school year.
That’s why we’ve done some of the hard work for you — from the Undivided platform and digital binder to goal workspaces, checklists, articles, expert how-to videos, and Navigators to guide you, we’ve got everything you need to feel supported each step of the way. Here are 5 ways we can help make your next IEP prep your best one yet!
1. Read our free IEP prep articles → Check out these articles created with your IEP needs in mind — from tips on saving and organizing documents to requesting reports from the district, plus expert advice on navigating tricky situations with the IEP team (like when they say, “This school doesn’t do that,” but you know it’s exactly what your child needs), and more!
- The Ultimate Checklist for IEP Prep
- The Paper Chase…Gone Digital: How to Organize IEP Documents
- 15 Documents You Need in Your IEP Binder
- IEP Meeting Tips for Parents
- Top 5 Ways to Plan Ahead for the IEP and Keep Your Team Accountable
- 5 Ways to Get Better Responses from Your IEP Team
- The 5 Most Important Things to Remember When Advocating in an IEP
2. Explore the Undivided platform → Here’s the only IEP prep system you’ll ever need. Our secure and easy to use platform is here to help you prepare for that upcoming IEP with ease. If you’re not already an Undivided member, click here to join and explore amazing features like these:
- Add the goal Prepare for my child’s first Individualized Education Program (IEP) to access a step-by-step guide on IEP essentials.
- Stay organized with our printable IEP binder checklist and use our printable IEP concerns template to track your concerns and track how they’re addressed in the IEP meeting.
- Join us for live Q&A office hours with experts who will answer all of your questions on special education, public benefits, insurance, and more. Find details for the next session in the “Events” section of this newsletter!
3. Get organized with your Undivided digital binder → Bulky IEP binders are so last year. Head into the 2025 IEP season actually feeling organized — digitally! With our digital binder, you can take the stress out of IEP prep and paperwork. As an Undivided member, you can upload IEPs, assessments, and more – all in one convenient spot. Hear from one of our incredible Undivided parents as they share how Undivided’s digital binder helps keep their family organized!
4. Try out Andy AI, your IEP’s new best friend → Looking for more guidance on IEP prep? Built on Undivided’s trusted content, Andy AI makes it easy to explore resources, find answers, and guide you to the information you need — all in one place. And because your privacy matters, Andy is fully HIPAA-compliant, keeping your information safe and secure every step of the way. Start exploring Andy AI here!
5. Opt in for one-on-one help if you need it → Don’t want to take on IEP prep alone? As an Undivided Navigator member, you have a dedicated partner by your side, offering one-on-one support, unlimited messaging, and access to boost calls. As one member told us, “Having [my Navigator] help me with the IEP and give me ideas really made me feel like I went in better prepared. It was a much better meeting than I would’ve had if she hadn’t helped me.” To get started, sign up for a free Kickstart with a Navigator here.
Are you wondering, “What can I do now to protect my children’s rights?”
At Undivided, we spend a lot of time talking about how families can access funding for all the services our children need. We often point families to private health insurance or to free or low-cost resources — but a good chunk of the funding sources we look to are public funds. With potential federal cuts on public programs being proposed, we thought it would be helpful to review where the money comes from to understand how these cuts could affect Californians.
We know this time of uncertainty can be scary, so we’ve prepared a list of practical steps you can take to help advocate for your child’s rights and tell your family’s story to people in power, whether you have three minutes or thirty.
Join us for our new IHSS workshop series → Do you need help with IHSS, either with a new application or your child’s ongoing services? We’re hosting a workshop series which will take place on February 25 and March 4 where Public Benefits Specialist Lisa Concoff Kronbeck will provide interactive training for becoming a parent provider, applying for protective supervision or paramedical services, requesting more hours, and much more. Our upcoming IHSS workshop series is exclusively for Undivided Platform and Navigator members! If you’re not already a member, get a free 30-day trial to attend. You can cancel anytime.
Join us for expert office hours → If you’re an Undivided member, join us for a live Q&A on Wednesday, March 5, at 12:00 p.m PT with Undivided Public Benefits Specialist Lisa Concoff Cronbeck. Lisa will be available to answer your questions directly on Zoom about funding therapies, social-rec, and medical supplies through Medi-Cal, insurance, Regional Center, and more! If you’re not an Undivided member yet, get started here to join us for office hours!
Tune in to watch this Undivided Conversation → The Ultimate Checklist for IEP Prep
Whether you have a couple days or a few weeks before your IEP meeting, it’s time to get organized! Join us Friday, February 21 at 12:00 p.m PT in conversation with Undivided Non-Attorney Education Advocate Lisa Carey who will give us key information parents should consider when preparing for our children’s IEP meetings. Carey has advocated for hundreds of families during IEPs including her own and has all the tips and tricks you need! Tune in to the stream on our Facebook page!
New to special education? Cover the basics with our Decoder series! Watch our IEP Decoder on Instagram→
What questions do you have about IEP prep? Our amazing community has a wealth of knowledge! Ask in our private Facebook group for parents→
Check out some quick tips from an experienced parent before your upcoming IEP meeting! Hear from Undivided Navigator Kelly on our YouTube channel→
We’re following the news about potential cuts to Medicaid and sharing resources about ways to advocate for what our kids need. Check out our LinkedIn page for updates→
