COVID-19   Law    Advocacy    Topics A-Z     Training    Wrights' Blog   Wrightslaw Store    Yellow Pages for Kids 

 Home > Special Ed Advocate Archives > 2014 Summer School: Parent Rights and Responsibilities in the IEP Process


The Special Ed Advocate newsletter
It's Unique ... and Free!

Enter your email address below:

2024
Training Programs

Apr. 11 - Denver, CO

June 5-8 - San Antonio, TX

Sept. 24 - MD via ZOOM

Full Schedule


Wrightslaw

Home
Topics from A-Z
Free Newsletter
Seminars & Training
Yellow Pages for Kids
Press Room
FAQs
Sitemap

Books & Training

Wrightslaw Storesecure store lock
  Advocate's Store
  Student Bookstore
  Exam Copies
Training Center
Mail & Fax Orders

Advocacy Library

Articles
Cool Tools
Doing Your Homework
Ask the Advocate
FAQs
Newsletter Archives
Short Course Series
Success Stories
Tips

Law Library

Articles
Caselaw
Fed Court Complaints
IDEA 2004
McKinney-Vento Homeless
FERPA
Section 504

Topics

Advocacy
ADD/ADHD
Allergy/Anaphylaxis
American Indian
Assistive Technology
Autism Spectrum
Behavior & Discipline
Bullying
College/Continuing Ed
Damages
Discrimination
Due Process
Early Intervention
  (Part C)

Eligibility
Episodic, such as
   Allergies, Asthma,
   Diabetes, Epilepsy, etc

ESSA
ESY
Evaluations
FAPE
Flyers
Future Planning
Harassment
High-Stakes Tests
Homeless Children
IDEA 2004
Identification & Child Find
IEPs
Juvenile Justice
Law School & Clinics
Letters & Paper Trails
LRE / Inclusion
Mediation
Military / DOD
Parental Protections
PE and Adapted PE
Privacy & Records
Procedural Safeguards
Progress Monitoring
Reading
Related Services
Research Based
  Instruction

Response to Intervention
  (RTI)

Restraints / Seclusion
   and Abuse

Retention
Retaliation
School Report Cards
Section 504
Self-Advocacy
Teachers & Principals
Transition
Twice Exceptional (2e)
VA Special Education

Resources & Directories

Advocate's Bookstore
Advocacy Resources
Directories
  Disability Groups
  International
  State DOEs
  State PTIs
Free Flyers
Free Pubs
Free Newsletters
Legal & Advocacy
Glossaries
   Legal Terms
   Assessment Terms
Best School Websites

 

Print this page

Summer School 2014
Parent Rights & Responsibilities in the IEP Process

As your child’s parent, you are a key member of the IEP team. You are not a spectator. You are an active participant.

IDEA gives you the power to make educational decisions for your child. Do not be afraid to use your power. Use it wisely. Don’t be afraid to take charge.

In this six part self-study series for Summer School 2014 you will learn to see your role in the IEP process as equally important as the educational professionals. You will learn:

  • about your active parent role as a member of your child’s IEP team
  • how to be an equal participant in IEP meetings
  • some simple but effective tools for taking and maintaining control
  • how to ask questions and make suggestions at IEP team meetings
  • how to be prepared to both collaborate and negotate with the IEP team

Part 1

Parent Participation in IEP Meetings
IEP Meeting

As the parent of a child with special educational needs, you represent your child’s interests. You are an essential part of the IEP process. Parents are and always have been members of the IEP team.

In the required members of the IEP team, IDEA 2004, Section 1414(d), parents are listed first.

In Part 1: Parent Participation in IEP Meetings, learn the law and regulations about your parental role in the IEP process.


Part 2

Identifying Problems, Clarifying Issues

As the parent member of your child’s IEP team, you are an equal participant in meetings. Parents are free to provide input into their child’s IEP through a written report if they so choose.

The keys to a successful IEP meeting are Parent school meeting

  • preparing
  • organizing information
  • knowing how to present requests

In Part 2: Identifying Problems, Clarifying Issues at IEP Meetings learn how to provide the school with a list of your concerns before the meeting.

Get your Homework Assignment #1, create and submit a Parent Agenda.


Part 3

Taking Control at IEP Meetings

parents at meeetingAt the IEP meeting, you negotiate with the school for services on your child's behalf.

When you seek win-win solutions to problems you can take control at IEP meeetings without playing hardball. When your team develops win-win solutions, the team members are committed to the success of their solutions.

In Part 3: Taking Control at IEP Meetings, learn to develop IEP solutions that allow you and the school district to get your needs and wants met. Learn what strategies to use. Find out how to ask questions and what questions to ask!


Part 4

Maintaining Control at IEP Meetings

IEP parent input formLearn how to make the IEP process work for your child with a simple tool to document:

  • your requests
  • school decisions made to accept or reject your requests
  • the reasons provided for these decisions

In Part 4: Maintaining Control at IEP Meetings, you can ownload and use a Parent IEP Attachment, a powerful tool that will help keep the IEP team on track.

 

Part 5

IEP Meeting StrategiesIEP Meeting

  • For some IEP teams saying NO is too easy.
  • Articulating an explanation of WHY? is tough.

Prior Written Notice (PWN) clearly states that parental requests must be accepted or rejected.

The IEP team must list the reasons for accepting or rejecting the parent's proposal.

Parents must build a record when you and the school disagree. Bringing out a PWN form can be a show stopper when skillfully used.

In Part 5: IEP Meeting Strategies learn how to effectively track your requests, the school's response, and document issues that were resolved or are still on the table.


Part 6

Asserting Your Parent Rights

Do Not Give Away Your Decision-Making Authority at IEP Meetings!

Parents are and always have been key members of the IEP team. Don't be a spectator.

Congratulations! You have completed Summer School 2014: Parent Rights & Responsibilities in the IEP Process!

You've learned that IDEA gives you the power to make educational decisions for your child and that you are a key member and active participant of the IEP team. You now have tools in your toolbox for making requests, communicating and collaborating effectively with the team, and representing your child's interests. Use these tools for taking and maintaining control at IEP Meetings.



Here's your Summer School 2014 Certificate


We appreciate your positive comments about the Special Ed Advocate summer series.

"This summer school series for parents you've been running in the newsletter is perfect for the parents I'm training at the Parent Information Center workshops. You haven't just told parents what to learn, you are telling them how to learn it and how to approach the learning.."

"Excellent job again Wrightslaw! I cannot underscore the extreme importance of maintaining an ongoing “flow” of documentation of all school activity pertaining to your student. I just love it when a school official says, 'I don’t have knowledge or evidence of the district’s approval of that service for your student'. I can respectfully reply… 'I am eager to assist the IEP team in any way I can. I have the verification document you need right here.'"

"I LOVE your site. I have never received an electronic issue that did not have an article that was personally applicable. I would very much like to do each step in the summer organization 'class'. With three young children with special needs- I can't miss organizational help!!"

 

To Top

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon The Special Ed Advocate: It's Free!

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 3rd Edition by Pete and Pam Wright
About the Book

To Order

Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
About the Book

To Order

Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments
About the Book

To Order

Surviving Due Process: Stephen Jeffers v. School Board
About the DVD Video

To Order

 

Copyright © 1998-2024, Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright. All rights reserved.

Contact Us | Press Mission l Our Awards l Privacy Policy l Disclaimer l Site Map

Print, Immediate Downloads
and Advocacy Supplies
Order Wrightslaw Product
s Today!



Check Out
The Advocate's Store!

Wrightslaw on FacebookWrightslaw on TwitterWrightslaw YouTube Channel 

Wrightslaw Books
Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 3rd Edition, by Pam and Pete Wright
About the Book

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition
About the Book

Wrightslaw: All About IEPs
About the Book

Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments
About the Book

Wrightslaw: Special Education Legal Developments and Cases 2019
About the Book

Surviving Due Process: Stephen Jeffers v. School Board
About the DVD Video


The Advocate's Store


Understanding Your Child's
Test Scores (1.5 hrs)

Wrightslaw Special: $14.95