My Child Has an IEP...Now What?
Congratulations on getting an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in place for your child! This can be a daunting process, and you have made it through the first steps successfully. Now that your child has an IEP, what happens next?
Your Child’s Special Services Will Begin
The services discussed in your child’s initial IEP will begin to be implemented. In some cases, that means your child will need to change schools or classrooms. In other situations, it means a co-teacher, paraprofessional, or other service providers will begin services in your child’s current classroom. Depending on your child’s needs, this could mean academic support, behavioral support, or help with organizational skills. Your child may also begin regular therapies such as speech therapy or occupational therapy.
Communication With the IEP Team
Once your child’s IEP is developed a special education teacher or case manager will be assigned to manage your case. You and your child’s case manager will likely have ongoing correspondence throughout the year. If you are not hearing from your child’s special education case manager, you should reach out to them and initiate contact. Each team works out the type and frequency of informal communication that works best. Some teams find that writing notes back and forth in the child’s agenda book or communicating through a behavior log or point sheet works well. In some cases, email correspondence works best. Some teams work best through weekly phone calls. Figuring out how to communicate effectively with your child’s IEP team is important to keeping information flowing.
IEP Progress Reports
Throughout the school year, you should receive progress reports on how your child is progressing towards their IEP goals and objectives. This typically occurs at the same interval as grade reports are provided by the school. For example, IEP progress reports are typically distributed at the same time as regular report cards. This should be numerical data so you can compare it to your child’s baseline and goal.
MY child has an iep…now what?
What Parents Need to Know and Do When Their Child Has an IEP
The 20-page guide includes checklists, quick reference sheets, and an IEP At-a-Glance page for you to summarize your most important IEP information.
IEP Annual Meetings
At least once per year, your child’s IEP team will convene for an IEP annual review. In the annual review meeting, you will discuss the progress your child made with IEP goals and objectives from the previous year. New goals will be developed for the upcoming year. Changes and updates to services and supports may be discussed.
IEP Review or Amendment Meetings
The IEP team does not have to wait a full year to meet to discuss your child’s needs. The school or the parent can request an IEP review meeting to amend the IEP at any point during the school year. This can happen if the child is making so much progress that they are meeting their goals more quickly than expected. It could also happen if the child is not making expected progress and additional supports or services are needed. An IEP review meeting may also be warranted if new information about your child becomes available. You can request an IEP review meeting to discuss your concerns if you feel that your child’s IEP is not being implemented correctly.
Re-Evaluations and Eligibility
Once it is determined that your child is eligible to receive special education service through an IEP, they are eligible for the program for three years. At that point, the team will need to determine if your child remains eligible for special education services. This discussion will probably take place several months before the three-year anniversary of your child’s eligibility to allow time to conduct any re-evaluations that may be needed.
Advocating for Your Child’s Needs
While it may have seemed like the process of getting your child an IEP was a lot of work, you cannot rest once the IEP has been developed. You need to continue advocating for your child’s needs. Being proactive in monitoring your child’s progress and communicating with the IEP team can go a long way to prevent problems in the future. Consider seeking assistance from an IEP advocate if you want support through the process.
Dr. Brandi Tanner is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and former special educator with over 15 years of experience in her fields. She founded Your IEP Source to guide parents through the IEP journey and to empower them to become better advocates for their children.