The thought of IEP and 504 Meetings can bring terror to any parent. This is especially true of a mom. You see, this is her baby and she can become like a tiger fighting for this precious child. She also can become overwhelmed not knowing what to do. This usually ends with doing nothing and feeling depressed. Can anyone else relate? I am going to give a plan for taking the fear and trembling out of the meeting.
Plan and write out the parent agenda. It is often said. "If you don't have a target, you probably will hit it!" Start simple and move out from there.
BEFORE THE MEETING
1. Ask the special education teacher to bring samples of work that is done in each goal area that is taught in the special education room.
2. Ask for samples of work done in general education room with any modifications or accommodations.
This will give you a much better idea of what is happening academically at school.
3. If social and behavioral expectations are not being met, write some of the things that you would like to see. Examples may be, goals that take social skills outside of resource room instruction such as lunch and recess social goals. If the child isn't focusing and getting started on work tasks quickly, a discussion on how to tackle this issue is needed at the meeting.
4. How are visual supports being used to communicate work, behavior, social demands, and attention and other executive function skills? Ask the special education and general education teacher to bring any visual supports used all the time. Also, what are visual supports used when needed? How is it determined that they are neede?
5. Ask the teachers to show you how he is reinforced? Does he have a personal incentive system? How is it used in different environments? Does he understand the correlation between rewards(incentives, reinforcers) and task completion and staying focused? It is amazing how many times this is forgotten. What is his work/break system in the resource room?
If you ask for these examples, they will be there when the meeting starts. It also tells the school that this family is "on top of their game" in advocating. You may have other questions to add to this list.
The school may sense that they need to do additional testing in some of these areas to see what he needs. They may ask you to sign a consent for this. I would say, "sign." Many of these areas won't be addressed without testing to see if the child needs them. It slows down the process but it is the way special education works.
I would love to hear from others about what they think of these. Do you have any other things to add to the parent agenda? We will talk about the meeting next week.
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