Here, special education attorney Grace Clark shares her tips for writing a post-IEP summary that you can email to the IEP team. This summary can help you clarify and record important aspects of the meeting, as well as bring to light any misunderstandings or points that need clarification. It can also document any disagreements or requests you made that were denied, which may be important in a future proceeding.
Be sure to take notes during the meeting (we've made it easy by creating this list of concerns template that you can print out and bring to the meeting). If you recorded the meeting (you must request permission to record it at least 24 hours beforehand), you can listen to it afterward to inform your documentation. The letter should be written in paragraph form, and should include details such as who made important suggestions and whether there was agreement or disagreement among the team on different points.
Attendees: Who attended the meeting and what was each person’s role?
Challenges: Explain any challenges that have affected your child’s learning and behavior, including input from you as well as your child’s teachers, therapists, and other school staff.
Goals: Do there need to be amendments or additions to their IEP goals? Has parent input about achievement or regression been considered if a new baseline needs to be created? Who is responsible for the child meeting the goal? How will the goal be measured? (Use this list of concerns template to easily track these discussions!)
Adding or amending services: What new or different services does your child need in order to meet their goals? Were any services not provided previously that can be made up now? How will the child’s teachers and therapists communicate with you, and is there a schedule for communication?
Adding or amending accommodations: What new or different accommodations does your child need in order to meaningfully access the curriculum?
Conclusion and signature: If you feel you need another IEP meeting to continue the discussion or resolve outstanding issues, including that information here.
