An individualized education plan contains strategies that teachers, parents, and other school professionals create collaboratively to meet the needs of a child with a disability. When designed well, an IEP can increase a child’s learning gains and sense of well-being within the school environment; when approached carelessly, it can cause confusion and even legal liability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Here are some ways that your clients can prepare for IEP meetings to make them more successful.

Use an IEP Planner

Because special education teachers tend to form strong bonds with their students and to become experts on each child’s strengths and weaknesses, school administrators depend on them to write most, if not all, of an IEP. However, many educators struggle to fulfill all the duties required of them in a given day. For this reason, they may not have sufficient time to prepare for IEP meetings, especially if the district has a certain time of year when they schedule all of them within a period of a few weeks.

One way for teachers to ensure they are always prepared for meetings is to use an IEP planner. This simple tool allows them to plan for the meeting all year by providing a place to record successful strategies and student reactions. Teachers can also give copies to other professionals and parents as a way to gather their input. With all the information in one place, participants can better focus their attention on innovative problem solving rather than spending time writing down everyone’s thoughts.

Create a Checklist of Requirements

Because an IEP is a legally binding document, the writing team must be certain that they include all details that the federal and state governments require. Remind your clients that they should not underestimate the consequences of omissions. If a disgruntled parent sues over a child’s failing grade, the court may find teachers and other school staff to be guilty of negligence. These legal cases can be expensive and sometimes result in the revocation of teaching licenses of those found guilty.

Because most school districts have additional IEP requirements beyond the state and federal ones, they create pre-made forms containing spaces for all necessary information. However, some smaller districts may not be up to date with the most recent changes or may rely on special education teachers to create the forms, so it is wise to double-check the legal requirements in your area. Here are some of the basic elements that an IEP must contain:

• Current academic performance
• Annual goals
• Special education and related services to be provided
• Integration with nondisabled children
• Participation in standardized tests
• Dates and locations of services
• Needs for transitioning out of school
• Statement regarding the age of majority
• Method of measuring progress

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