School’s Back! 5 Essentials for the First Week

There are so many reasons to create an “All About Me” document that describes your child’s likes, strengths, goals, and needs. To start, it’s an easy way to share essential information about your child with new teachers and providers who probably haven’t had a chance to read their IEP yet.

Introducing your child by showcasing their whole selves — strengths first! — will also help teachers prepare by getting to know your child. Knowing what works and doesn’t work for your child allows teachers and providers to meet them where they are, which makes the work more effective (and hopefully more fun). It will also keep teachers accountable and ensure they are offering your child FAPE (a free, appropriate, public education).

Part of an “All About Me” also includes summarizing their IEP in a shortened format that contains basic information about their goals, accommodations, and services.

You can place this document in your child’s IEP binder for easy access during future meetings. Undivided Navigators prepare this summary for new clients using the child’s IEP. If you’re writing it yourself, check out our All About Me template that functions as both an introductory letter and IEP at a glance in just two pages to create your own.

As many of us know, there are staff shortages across many industries these days, and unfortunately one of those is our school districts.

Dr. Pelangka explains that school staff shortages may mean a shift in the way that special education classes and related services will be offered. This could include everything from co-taught classes to virtual related services (such as speech therapy). It’s important to remember that while we all need to work together to do what’s best for our kids, parents do not have to agree to classroom placements or service delivery models that don’t work for our kids. Here’s how to push back:

When your child is starting out the school year, whether it’s at a new school or with a new teacher, it’s a good idea to set a check-in meeting four to six weeks after school begins. Here’s a refresher on how to request an IEP meeting.

While you may have specific things in their IEP to discuss, the main reason it’s important to hold this meeting is to start building trust and relationships with a new IEP team. Dr. Pelangka explains why in this clip:

Dr. Pelangka recommends asking your district to wait about thirty days into the new school year, depending on how quickly your child is able to adapt, before offering an assessment plan. Many students struggle with changes in routine, and your child may need time to acclimate to their new classroom, services, and school environment. A thorough assessment is the first step to creating a strong IEP that accurately reflects your child's goals, strengths, and areas of need, so waiting until students are comfortable can go a long way toward making that happen.

Read more about the types of IEP assessments, how students are assessed, and how parents can review their child's assessments in our article IEP Assessments 101.