Whether you’ve already been in a handful of IEP meetings or you’re preparing for your very first one, it can be easy to overlook some common pitfalls that IEP teams make. You want your child’s IEP to be effective and provide all the supports they need to progress in school, and your IEP team should be willing to collaborate to make this happen. Here are some red flags to watch for in the IEP meeting and how to handle them, so you can be confident that you’re doing everything you can for your child’s education.
An overly negative attitude from any member of the IEP team. IEPs should be strength-based, so the discussion shouldn’t be focused only on your child’s limitations or challenges. It’s also a red flag if any member of the team blames a lack of progress on your child or their disability. If there are issues, you can reframe the discussion this way: What do we need to do differently to help my child be successful?
Filler statements in the present levels of performance (PLOPs) that don't actually help assess progress. If a teacher says a student “is a kind of member of the class” or “loves to help,” that is nice to know but doesn’t help track your child’s performance from year to year. Undivided’s non-attorney education advocate Lisa Carey recommends: “Ask lots of questions. If they say the child loves to help in the classroom, ask them what that means. Who are they helping — the teachers, the other students? Ask questions so you can get a better feel for what's going on in the day-to-day of your child.” And if we’re using this information for PLOPs, how does this inform what they can do, and how that plays into their goals?
The majority of the goals weren’t met or were only partially met. Ask the IEP team what they think happened, and discuss what other supports might be needed in order for your child to make progress.
Goals that are hard to measure. Check out our article Rewriting Goals for an IEP: Let's Fix Those Goals! for tips on making sure your child’s IEP goals are effective. Remember that everything should be in writing, so if you and the IEP team discuss details about a goal, those need to be included in the final document.
Goals that are too specific or too narrow. When should a goal specify certain elements, and what veers into the territory of too specific? Hear from Dr. Caitlin Solone in this video clip.
Goals that seem to come out of nowhere. Every goal in your child’s IEP should be based on data in the present levels. Ask your IEP team to provide baseline data for proposed goals.
Goals that seem too easy. Goals should be realistic but should also be ambitious enough that your child makes progress. Check out the tips in A Parent's Guide to IEP Goals.
Services are written as consult only. Carey says, “Sometimes that's what is needed for your child, and it's fine. But I want you to make sure that you understand what it looks like and what it means.” If your child would benefit from direct instruction from a provider, those minutes of instruction time need to be written into the IEP, not just as a consult.
The IEP team wants to completely end a service. The IEP team should be able to show with data that your child no longer needs a service. Ask for an assessment to show that the service is no longer needed, and consider fading the service before ending it completely.
The IEP team refuses a service or accommodation, saying, “We don’t do that here.” Ask for a copy of the written policy. If there is no written policy, you can ask the team why they’re not willing to provide it. “Just because they say they don't do something doesn't mean that that's okay,” says Carey. If your child needs a certain support to make progress, then the school should try to make it work — it’s the school’s obligation to provide your child with a free, appropriate public education (FAPE).
The IEP team pressures you to choose a segregated setting based on your child’s diagnosis. Remember that IEP stands for Individualized Education Program, so your child’s placement should be based on their individual needs, not a blanket statement like “All our students with autism are in this class.” The least restrictive environment is a general education setting with supports, so the IEP team should always start there and then discuss the student’s needs.
The IEP team pressures you to excuse people who really ought to be present. Carey advises, “If you're not sure that you might need them, ask them to stay. And if they really can't, then ask for a part two or part three. There's nothing wrong with that.” Who should be at the IEP meeting? Check out our article IEP Team Players and Their Roles.
Pressuring you to sign the IEP during the meeting. You do have to sign an attendance sheet, but make sure to take the IEP home so you can review it at your own pace and make any notes of questions to ask. There is no time limit for parents to sign the IEP.
A general willingness to collaborate and compromise can help you handle most issues with your IEP team. “At the end of the day,” says Carey, “most of the people who are in your child's IEP meeting are there for the right reasons. They want to help kids learn and grow. They're there to help. So we do want to start from a place of compromise and collaboration. Always start there. I know it doesn't always work — I'm not wearing rose-colored glasses, believe me, but I always want to start there. Get across what's important to you and your child, and be willing to hear what they have to say and really listen to what they're saying. They may know something that you don't know about how your child learns.”
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