In today’s episode, we focus on the top IEP secrets the school system seems to hold back from parents intentionally…
For those who want one-on-one IEP help from an expert… we started that service too as a way to further arm parents with the knowledge they REQUIRE!
It’s completely FREE to start… https://specialedresource.com/iep-consultation
Recently, we spoke with a frustrated mother…
Her son had academically limped through elementary school and barely got passed up to middle school…
Truth be told, he maybe shouldn’t have been since he was already so far behind at that moment…
His mom did raise concerns with the school and her son’s teachers, but most seemed just simply to be brushed aside…
Brushing off concerns is unfortunately rather commonplace… hence the reason for creating this video.
I will get to the devastating reality this mother faced when battling the school for her child in a moment…
Here’s the reality… the school system is stuck, it’s broken, it’s antiquated, and it’s not evolving fast enough to keep up with the world, or with the needs of children today.
Most often, parents are left trying to push for things their child SHOULD automatically have access to according to laws we have in place such as IDEA or Individuals With Disabilities Education Act…
That is just flat out wrong…
Such was the case with the frustrated mother I mentioned earlier…
It is LAW that a child who has an IEP must have a meeting to go over that document once a year…
This mother was ONLY invited to her son’s IEP meeting every three years…
Three years is the time-frame to determine if a child is still eligible for special education services, not to ensure the services within the IEP are still relevant and working!
After this conversation, we had enough!
It was time to blow the roof of secrecy off of the school system and fully discuss what you, as a parent, need to know to ensure your child gets EVERYTHING they need to reach their success!
1; As A Parent, You Are An EQUAL Partner In An IEP Meeting;
~Most Parents Don’t Feel This Way
~Mainly Because Of The Confusing Language Used In This Process
~It’s Almost Like The System Is DESIGNED To Keep You In The Dark?
~If You Don’t Agree With Something, Push To Change It
2; You Have The Right To Ask As Many Questions As You Need
~Not Obvious In Most Cases
~May Lead To Dirty Looks
~You MUST Understand EVERYTHING;
~That’s Being Proposed
~That’s Being Disregarded
~That’s Being Changed
~That’s Being Added
~That’s Discussed
~This Is The Single Most Important “Secret” You Can EVER Learn
Asking questions is something I cannot stress enough! When I attended my son’s first IEP meeting, I was utterly lost and quickly became discouraged! I wanted to act like and look like I knew what I was talking about… so, I just accepted a lot of what was discussed. In my case, my wife was there who’s a special education expert… so she handled the meeting like a boss! Most parents don’t have an expert with them, so it’s time to put aside your ego and WORK your tail off for your child!
I learned this in subsequent meetings and was able to interject my beliefs, thoughts, and concerns to the point the rest of the team agreed and added it to my son’s IEP!
3; Take Your Own Notes;
~Ensure Information Is Written In A Language You Understand
~Key Points YOU Find Necessary Are Documented
~Most Parents Are Told To Not Worry About This As Someone Else Is ~Taking Notes For The Team
4; Bring Your Child’s Picture With You To The Meeting
Humanizes Everything Discussed
Put’s A Face To The Plan
The Meeting Is FOR Your Child
Reference This Picture Frequently
I know what you’re thinking… but, Luke, those secrets aren’t completely shocking!
While this is true, these four items will go further in ensuring your child gets the services they need to be successful, then understanding every single acronym used in special education… and we all know there are a LOT of those!
Most parents put way too much faith in a broken, under-resourced system, that is not designed in the way a non-expert can understand…
Since you can’t take a USB drive, plug it into your head, and instantly learn everything about special education… the next best approach is to ask, ask, ask, and continue to ask questions of the experts until you have the clarity you need…
If parents would follow these simple, yet super effective strategies…
As I mentioned at the beginning of this video, we created a program to take your understanding and advocation for your child to the next level!
Imagine, having an expert right next to you… it truly can change everything!
If you have additional questions;
Please email me directly; Luke@SpecialEdResource.com
From all of us at SpecialEdResource.com – Thank YOU for watching this episode of Special Education Decoded!
For a free tutoring consultation… check this out! https://specialedresource.com/free-consultation-long
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