What is an IEP meeting?
Schools are required by law to hold an IEP meeting annually. It’s a chance for parents, teachers and others involved in the child’s education to review the education being received and make changes if needed.
During the meeting, educators will inform the parents of the child’s progress over the last year. They will outline strengths and if the last meeting's objectives were met. Normally, the parents also provide feedback at this stage to let teachers know how they feel the year has gone.
The education team will then outline if they feel change is needed to the child’s IEP. For instance, the child’s disability might change as they grow and that needs to be accounted for.
It’s vital that both parents and the child’s education team work constructively in an IEP meeting. This document will put in place a plan that’s to last for the year and constant reviews caused by poor planning will likely have an adverse impact on the child.
In preparation for the meeting, it’s helpful for the person facilitating it to send a report of the child’s progress so everyone can review and come to the session prepared. A chair should also facilitate the discussion to ensure everyone is heard and people don’t talk over each other.
After the meeting, the document will be sent to all parties and should be reviewed before being signed off. Any action items should also be completed prior to the document being implemented.