Preparing for an IEP Meeting & IEP Checklist for a Child with Autism

Preparing for the Meeting

If this is your first IEP at the school, you should ask for a copy of the IEP form that the school district uses. It is also a good idea to have a copy of your child's school file. (A form letter to request a copy of the school file is provided in the Sample Letters section of this web site.) It is also wise to talk to the child's teachers and service providers beforehand and ask them if the needs of your child are being met and what additional services or program modifications they might recommend.

You should then make a list of the program and services that you believe would be appropriate for your child. For the program and for each service, you should consider whether it is likely that the IEP team will agree to the desired service, or whether it may be contested.

For those areas that may be contested, you should consider what support you may need for your position. Examples: a school based assessment, teacher's opinions, a private expert report, an expert who will attend the IEP meeting, data collection, school work, etc.

If you are not sure as to whether your child needs a specific service, you might consider making a written request for an assessment by the school to determine the need for that service.

Do you have proposed goals and objectives for each area of need? If you do not have specific goals and objectives prepared, do you at least have a list of areas of unique needs of your child for which goals and objectives should be developed?

Do you have a checklist list of all of the things that you believe should be in the IEP? You should review the last IEP, write down everything that should be retained, what is no longer needed, and what should be added.

Finally, dress like you are going to a business meeting. You should give the impression that you are professional and well prepared.

IEP Checklist:

1. Has proper notice of the IEP been given to you?
2. Is the meeting being held at a mutually convenient time and place as required by law? If you cannot attend physically, has the school made arrangements for you to participate by telephone? (See sample letters section of this web site.)
3. Do you know who will be attending the IEP meeting? If not, make a written request for this information. Will all of the required members of the IEP team be there? For instance, if your child has a general education teacher, that teacher is required to attend.
4. Do you know how long the meeting is scheduled to last? Will there be enough time to address your parent concerns? (If you have requests or issues that you would like to discuss, it is a good idea to tell the IEP team at the beginning of the meeting, during the introductions, that you would like to have a certain amount of time to express your "parent concerns." Say to the team, "I have concerns about my child's _____________ and I would like at least __________ minutes to discuss these concerns. Will you give me at least __________ minutes to address the concerns that I have?" Make a note of the time that you are allotted. During the course of the meeting, if it is getting late and starting look like they are not going to get to you, speak up and tell them that you are concerned that it looks like you are not going to have the time that was promised you. Tell them that if this is the case, another meeting will have to be scheduled. In my experience, the school will usually clear the way for you to speak. They will generally not want to have to convene another IEP meeting.
5. Are you planning on tape recording the IEP and have you complied with any state law regarding tape recording (such as notice)? It is a good idea of making a habit of tape recording the IEP meeting. Start doing this before you have any controversial IEPs. Then, when you have disagreements with the school, it will not seem so adversarial when you pull out your tape recorder.
6. Has all identifying information (names, etc.) been completed on the IEP form?
7. Is the purpose of meeting set forth? (annual review, request by parent, develop behavior plan or review new assessments etc.)
8. Who is attending the meeting? Was each member who is required to attend the IEP there? Examples - regular education teacher (if the child has one) administrator etc. Does each person at the IEP meeting have knowledge of the child? If someone shows up who does not have knowledge of the child, you should ask that this person leave. (Example: a union representative of the teachers.) Does the district representative at the meeting have the authority to commit agency resources? In other words, the district representative must have the power to commit to providing all appropriate programs and services.
9. What assessments should be reviewed?
10. Are there any other assessments that should be performed? You should carefully consider what other services might be appropriate and consider making a written request for any such service or program.
11. What is the eligibility of the child? Autism?
12. Are the present levels of performance set forth in the IEP?
13. What goals and objectives are appropriate? Do you need to confer with a private expert regarding the goals and objectives? Remember, the goals and objectives will determine the placement and services. Have Goals and objectives been developed for all areas of need? This includes all services that will be afforded to your child. Can the goals and objectives be measured? In other words, will it be easy to determine if the goals and objectives are met?
14. Should there be a data collection system?
15. Does your child need any of the following services: speech and language, psychological services, physical or occupational therapy, recreation/therapeutic recreation, counseling services, mobility services, medical services for diagnostic purposes, school health services, social work, parent training or counseling, transportation? Are the goals and objectives developed for each of the services appropriate? Are the specific days and times for each service specified in the IEP? The location?
16. Is the program that the school is offering appropriate? If you are unsure, have you consulted with an expert? If you do not have an expert, have you considered requesting that the school pay for a private expert using your rights to an Independent Educational Evaluation. (See the main article in this web site.) Have you or your experts observed the placement?
17. What autism methodologies will be used to teach your child? Ask the school why the IEP members believe that these teaching methods are appropriate for your child? Are the chosen methodologies supported by replicable research? What education, training and experience do the teachers and staff have in the teaching methods that will be used to educate your child? Does the teacher or other staff need additional education or training in the methodologies that will be used? Should the staff have access to consultation with an autism expert? What other methodologies were considered and why were those methodologies rejected? It is advisable to put these questions in writing and request that the school answer these questions in writing. If the school balks at putting the answers to these questions in writing, point out to the IEP team or administrator that the school is required to do so under the Prior Written Notice Statute 20 USC 1415(b)(3) which provides that the school must give you written notice about the proposed placement including all "relevant factors." Further, that the teaching methods that will be used to educate your child are certainly relevant factors as to whether the IEP offer by the school district is appropriate. Moreover, the United States Supreme Court in the Rowley case stated that the teaching methods should be written into the IEP.
18. Do you think that parent counseling or parent training be appropriate? If the school says no, consult with your expert or consider making a written request for an assessment.
19. Do you think that the school district should provide any other services? If you suspect that your child may need additional services, make a written request for an assessment for the service in the IEP or later by letter.
20. What is the program for adaptive physical education that your child will receive?
21. If there already is a behavior intervention plan, does it need to be modified in any way?
22. If your child is 16 years old or older, has a transition IEP meeting been held and does your child have an appropriate transition program? Has an appropriate assessment been performed to determine whether your child should receive services in any of the following areas:
    1. Independent living. i.e. Living with support, a group home, supervised apartment living, residential etc.
    2. Social and leisure, recreation, community supported recreation.
    3. Transportation. Learning how to ride a bus or drive a car. Specialized transportation.
    4. Employment possibilities. Training for or on the job training.
    5. Further education. College, trade schools, apprentice program, work activity program, on the job training.
    If services are to be provided, are the times and length of each service session specified in the IEP? Maximum number of children in each session?
23. Does your child need counseling services?
24. What is the least restrictive environment for your child and why?
25. Are extended school year services (ESY), such as summer school, appropriate? If there is a question, should an assessment be performed to determine if ESY is appropriate? You should schedule an IEP for no later than early March if you think that your child may need ESY and make a written request for an assessment if necessary.
26. What accommodations (such as preferential seating, calculators) are appropriate?
27. What modifications are appropriate? (Modifications change the curriculum making the subject easier for the child.)
28. Does any teacher or staff member need education or training? (Teacher supports)
29. Does a teacher or staff member need to consult with an autism expert from time to time? (Teacher supports)
30. Does your child's behavior adversely affect his learning or the learning of others? If so, you should request a functional behavior analysis by an autism expert? If there is already a functional behavior analysis, does it need to be revised? Do the teachers are staff need to be educated in how to implement a behavior intervention plan?
31. Does the child need specialized transportation? An aide?
32. Would your child benefit from assistive technology? Consider requesting an assessment in writing? (Assistive technology can be anything from question and answer cards to computers.)
33. How often will you, as the parent, receive progress reports? This should be at least as often as regular education students.
34. Are there any safety concerns that you have for your child that should be addressed in the IEP?
35. Is there a change in placement and, if so, will your child need transition services to make that change in placement?
36. Do you have any questions about the program or services (or lack thereof)? If so, you should put these in a parent attachment. A form is provided in the Sample Letters section of this web site.
37. Has the school given appropriate Prior Written Notice? Has the school provided you with a written document that informs the parent of the following:
    1. A description of the actions proposed or refused.
    2. An explanation of why the school proposes or refuses to take the action.
    3. A description of any other options that the agency considered, and the reasons why those options were rejected.
    4. A description of each evaluation procedure, test, record, or report the agency used as a basis for the proposed or refused action.
    5. A description of any other factors that are relevant to the agency's proposal or refusal.
    6. A statement that the parents of a child with a disability have protection under the procedural safeguards of this part and, if the notice is not an initial referral for evaluation, the means by which a copy of a description of the procedural safeguards can be obtained; and
    7. Sources for parents to contact to obtain assistance in understanding the provisions of this part.
    You should consider what other options the school considered for placement, and whether the program and services that the school is offering is appropriate? Do you or does your expert have any questions about the placement or services? Have you written these questions into a parent attachment to the IEP?
38. When will the IEP be implemented? Is the starting date set forth in the IEP?
39. Has your child been making reasonable educational progress? If not, does the IEP address what changes need to be made?
40. If you intend to privately place the child, have you given 10 days written notice?
41. Did you receive a complete copy of the IEP when the meeting ended? (Also, did the you inform the school that you would not sign the IEP there the meeting but would return it in a few days after you have had a chance to digest it? (Strongly recommended)
42. Has the school district requested that you sign any consent forms to obtain information from other people? If so, have you limited the scope and duration (time) of those consent forms?
43. Finally, what are your concerns? You should carefully consider what concerns and questions they have about the IEP and program and services. (See Sample Letters section of this web site for a Parent Attachment form that can be used to write in Parent Concerns. See also How to Respond to an Offer of Placement and Services (in the Sample Letters) with suggested questions that you may wish to ask about the IEP offer.) Is there anything that you would like to include in a Parent Attachment? Anything that you disagree with in the IEP? Any additional services that you think might be appropriate? Any assessments that you would like to see performed? You can include all of these things in a Parent Attachment. (See Sample Letters in the web site for a form Parent Attachment and Letter Transmitting Parent Attachment.)