Whether it is your first or twenty-first Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting, the information presented can be overwhelming. Parents/guardians sit and listen to what IEP team members have to say, but do they truly understand what all of that information means? I am going to start by giving all of you one piece of advice, NEVER SIGN IN AGREEMENT TO THE IEP AT THE END OF THE MEETING!! Sign in attendance only, that is all you are required to do at the time of the meeting. Then, take home rough draft of the documents to look over in the comfort of your home. This will give you time to read AND process the information. If there is something that you don't understand reach out to the school team members and ask questions. In the upcoming weeks I will be providing some information on the important components of the IEP. I will include a brief explanation on what should be included in the components. I hope to go over 2 components each week. I hope that this will help you to better understand what this long document called an IEP is all about.
