Having been on both sides of an IEP that is why I rename it from Individual Education Plan to Intense Education Process. With the proper support, preparation, and keeping the progress of the student as the goal, an IEP can go smooth.
First off, as a parent, find other parents that are going through the same thing. Share experiences and knowledge of past IEPs. You can find many groups online, but also find others in your community. Have them come and sit in with you on the IEPs. Also, ask for more of the regular education teachers to be involved in the process. Granted, this increases the difficulty of scheduling, but this will ensure their knowledge of the details surrounding your child in their classroom. They may have some insights to offer in the meeting.
Secondly, remember that an IEP is geared at making steps in a process. Don’t come with the idea that this one IEP has one goal and an end result. Both parents and teachers can make the goal writing difficult when not put in measured steps. Yes, we all want great strides achieved, but monitor the progress. If your child is moving faster, then you can write larger goals.
Make sure the the goals can be measured. Having one goal that just says graduate is not a goal for an IEP. It’s how you get there that matters and also what skills are learned during the education process that will benefit the student after they graduate.
No matter what, the IEP does not need to be an intense process. If you, teacher, student, and parent, keep the focus on the reason for the individualized education plan, then the process can be achieved with little pain. There are many sites on the internet with more tips. Use all your resources to make your next IEP a rewarding one.
