You did it! You had a successful IEP meeting where you were a collaborative member of the team. You have a great IEP that meets the unique needs of your child and prepares them for further education, employment, and independent living. But you are not quite done yet. Follow these steps to wrap up after the meeting to make sure that IEP is implemented and working.
- Make sure everyone has the final copies.
- The IEP you had going into the meeting was the draft. Now that the meeting is done, there should be a ‘finalized’ version of the IEP. This finalized version is what the team will implement. Also, if there were any other documents discussed during the meeting, make sure you have copies of those too. Keep these organized in a phsyical IEP binder, or a computer folder so you can access them easily throughout the year.
- Double check with the case manager that all of the adults your child works with has a copy of the new IEP. Some adults, like aides, lunchroom staff, office staff, and others may not have access to students’ IEPs. Work with the case manager to make sure everyone knows about the new IEP and has a copy.
- After a few weeks, ask for data
- No matter how great the IEP meeting went, we want to make sure the IEP is working. You can ask for progress monitoring data (information on your child’s progress towards their goals) at any time. Just remember, that goals are long-term. Don’t expect your child to be meeting the benchmark right away, but we do want to see progress towards the benchmark and goal.
- Keep the team updated
- If there are any changes at home that affect your child, share with the team. You are the expert on your child and their needs and the school team wants as much as that information as you are willing to share. Keeping the school team updated helps them support your child. You don’t have to wait for the next IEP meeting (a year from now) to give updates.
- If there are major changes, or if you want to hold another IEP meeting, you can. You don’t have to wait the full year to meet again. If you think meeting again is the best next step, ask the case manager for an IEP meeting and be clear about you concerns and why you want this meeting.
As always, keep a positive attitude and thank the team for their work with your child. When you keep a collaborative attitude, the team feels less defensive and is more willing to work with you.
What else do you do after IEP meetings? Let me know in the comments!
Want support building collaborative relationships with your child’s IEP team? Let me know what you need!