IEP meetings can be a major drain on your energy. The only thing on your mind at the end might be running for the hills. I’d like to urge you to slow yourself down just a bit. Your future self will thank you for doing these few things when you finish the meeting.

1. Review All the IEP Meeting Documentation

After the IEP meeting, you want to review all of the IEP documentation and ensure that everything discussed was recorded accurately and completely. Sometimes things the discussion points in a meeting are not accurately captured and recorded in the meeting documents. You might be under the impression that your child will get specific services or accommodations from the discussion. However, if it wasn’t documented, it didn’t happen. You want to make sure that you have everything in writing.

During the meeting, you should be working with the team to clarify the specific wording for your child’s goals, objectives, and accommodations. If the person updating the document with those changes during the meeting can do a screen share or screen projection, things are relatively easy because you follow the updates in real-time. If that isn’t possible, cross-check the notes you take during the meeting with the IEP document to make sure everything is correct.  

In addition to checking over the information in the main sections of the IEP, you should also review the meeting minutes for accuracy and completeness. When I am advocating for families in meetings, I often make it a point to ask for specific pieces of information to be included in the record. If you initiate a discussion with the team regarding your concerns about the plan or its implementation, you want to make sure that the meeting minutes reflect that discussion. If you make a request and the school denies it, that information also needs to be recorded. Hopefully, you would never have to file a state complaint or due process. However, if you did, documentation of your previous requests and denials would be critical.  

2. Add the New Documents to Your IEP File

After the IEP is over, you have reviewed all the documents, and everything is finalized, you should immediately file away your records into your IEP file so that you can locate them and review them when needed. To some people, filing away means putting paper documents into a filing cabinet. That is great. Just make sure you put the documents in a place where you can locate them again when needed.

Instead of paper records, I am a huge fan of digital document organization. If you use a file storage program such as Google Drive, your records are at your fingertips whenever and wherever you need them. By using a consistent set of naming conventions, you will be able to find the specific document you want in a matter of seconds without rummaging through a bunch of papers. If you need to share these documents with someone, you can send them by email instantly without the need to make photocopies. You don’t have an overflowing filing cabinet taking up space in your home as an additional benefit. If you would like more information about how to digital document organization connect with me >>here<< or join the Your IEP Source Membership >>here<<.

3. Complete Any Action Steps Following the Meeting

In some cases, there are action steps for you to complete following a meeting. For example, you may need to provide information or documentation to school staff. If it is a virtual meeting, you may need to sign and return documents. 

Even if it is not something required by the school, you may personally decide that there are some action steps that you would like to take. For example, you may decide that you want to enroll your child in tutoring, therapy, or another service provided by a private professional. You may decide that you would like to get a private evaluation for your child. Schedule and complete these action steps as soon as you can following the meeting.  

4. Monitoring the IEP Implementation and Effectiveness

After an IEP meeting, changes are usually put into effect right away. You want to monitor that your child is receiving the services and accommodations they are supposed to receive. You also want to ensure that your child's services are helping them make adequate progress.  

If your child has a home school communication system, you can review that log to see if the child is being seen by the therapists and specialists that should be serving them and that they have been working on the goals and objectives in the IEP. You can also ask your child to tell you who they worked with at school each day and record that information in your own log to ensure that your child receives the services they are supposed to receive at the right frequency.  

In addition to making sure that your child is receiving the services they are supposed to get, you also want to make sure that those services are helping your child to progress. On a daily or weekly basis, you can review your child’s school assignments and tests, grades that they are receiving in their courses, a home school communication log, or other pieces of information. IDEA also requires that you receive information about your child’s progress on IEP goals and objectives with the same frequency as regular grade reports such as report cards. When your child gets a report card, check the IEP progress report to get updates on who the child is progressing with his or her specific objectives. My blog post, The IEP Progress Report - Understanding Your Child’s Progress Toward IEP Goals & Objectives, can give you more information about that.  

As I said initially, it may be tempting to run and hide following your IEP meeting. However, these post-meeting action steps are essential in ensuring your child is getting the right services and that the services are effective. If there is a problem, you will have an accurate and complete accounting of everything in your child’s IEP file if you ever needed to move to dispute resolution.

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