Preparing for your first IEP meeting

It was 2003 when I attended my very first IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting. My son had just been diagnosed with three learning disabilities. And, only six months before, came the diagnosis of ADHD. Being new to the whole process of an IEP meeting, I was pretty much clueless. I thought I went to the meeting just to see what the teachers thought would be best for my son. I didn't know that I, as a parent, had an equal voice at this meeting. Since that time I have researched, learned and prepared for each meeting. I go armed with my resource notebook, questions, suggestions and concerns. I have requested certain accommodations be added to his IEP, and they have been. We (the school officials and I) work as a team. If you plan to attend your first IEP meeting in the near future, Great Schools has a wonderful resource on their site that you will want to review. It is an "e-ssential guide" entitled Preparing for Your First IEP Meeting available for download free of charge. The topics covered are:

• An overview of the IEP process, including your role as a parent
• Things you can do before, during, and after the meeting to make it successful
• What makes IEP goals effective, and how to monitor those goals
• A glossary of frequently used educational terms
• Effective ways to talk with family and friends about your child’s learning problems
• How to talk with your elementary-age child about his learning difficulties
• Recommended resources, including books, articles, and websites

Also, you may find these previous posts helpful:

• IEP Meetings
• The Resource Room
• Parents as Advocates

Early on I purchased a book entitled "Nolo's IEP Guide: Learning Disabilities." It has been an invaluable resource that I have referred to often. I first checked it out from my local library. I knew right away that it was a book I needed to have for future reference. I then purchased it through half.com at a very reasonable price.