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Tuesday Talks!
Join me for weekly discussions about ALL things education...from preschool through high school! As a mom, Speech Language Pathologist, and educator, I share my personal experiences related to each week's topic in relatable and informative ways.
My message about education is powerful: Reflecting on what is and making waves to cause change!
Tuesday Talks!
My Kid Has An IEP: Now What?
Send us your thoughts about this week's episode!
Your child just got an IEP… now what?
In this episode, I break down exactly what parents and teachers need to know to turn an Individualized Education Program into a real tool for student success.
You’ll learn:
✅ How to understand each section of an IEP (without all the legal jargon)
✅ Questions to ask your IEP team to get clear, actionable answers
✅ Ways to build a strong parent–teacher partnership
✅ How to track progress and adjust when things aren’t working
✅ Advocacy tips to make sure your child gets the services they deserve
Whether you’re a parent navigating this for the first time or a teacher supporting families, this episode is packed with strategies you can use right away.
🎧 Listen now and let’s turn that IEP into action!
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Tuesday Talks is hosted by Dr. Tiffany. She has been a Speech/Language Pathologist for 20 years. She's also a speaker and educational consultant. Dr. Tiffany hosts webinars and in-person workshops for teachers and parents.
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Welcome to Tuesday Talks, your educational podcast, helping parents become strong advocates for their kids and teachers to make big impacts in the classroom. Here we go. Hey everybody, welcome back for another Tuesday Talks. I'm so glad you're here with me for this week's episode. Tuesday Talks I'm so glad you're here with me for this week's episode. Please go ahead, hit that, subscribe, hit the like, hit the share, put it out there to as many friends teacher friends, parent friends, anybody with kids You're going to benefit from tonight's episode because we are talking about IEPs.
Speaker 1:We're at the start of the school year and your kid might have had an IEP last year and enrolled over to this new school year, or you might have moved from one state to another, one district from another. Your kid's IEP travels with them. It's not canceled just because you crossed state lines or you went to a different district. No, it's a living traveling document as long as the date range is still current. So we're going to get into it tonight. So, again, if you have a kid with an IEP, if you have a friend, a family member with a kid with an IEP, be sure to share this episode with them, because I'm about to give you some real knowledge that is going to help you be more a part of the process. And the reason why I think this is so important is because so many times I have said in meetings as an SLP and seen parents just get rolled over, steamrolled. Parents don't ask questions, school's not volunteering any extra information and everybody leaves the meeting not really knowing what the hell's going to happen. To be honest, you wrote some things out, you put some goals on there, you made it look nice, you ticked all the boxes. But actually implementing the IEP it's easy to write stuff out, that's one thing, but it is quite another to actually execute what is in that document. And that is the most important part. Because if the words on the paper don't come to life in the kids' day-to-day schooling, then everybody just wasted their time.
Speaker 1:And if you have been through the IEP process, you know that it is no small feat to go from a parent concern to having a kid qualify for special education services and get an IEP. That's not something that happens overnight. That's not something that happens within 30 days. Most school districts have 60 to 90 days to finish that whole process. You have weekends, school holidays, winter break all that in there that can drag that process out longer and longer and longer. So tonight we're going to talk about what you do when your kid already has an IEP. I'll drop another episode in a couple of weeks probably, to talk about that process to even getting to the stage of having an IEP, but tonight we're talking about the kids that already have their IEP.
Speaker 1:So if you're a parent, you might have just left that meeting with a mix of relief, confusion, maybe a little bit of panic. You know the relief comes because your child is finally getting the support that they need. Right, we talked about how long the process can be and now your child's finally getting the support. You're like, thank goodness, ok. The confusion might come because there's a lot of educational jargon in those IEPs. They are writing things in ways that if you have not been fully indoctrinated into education and had this experience with, maybe an older child, you don't really know what the words mean on the paper. And so many times I've seen parents just smile and nod and not really knowing what is going on and that's evident based on the questions they ask down the line. Like wait, that was in the IEP a month ago. You knew we were doing this right. That's the assumption of the educators that was my assumption as a speech therapist was like okay, everybody signed this document, so everybody knows what's in it. So you ask questions later on. That sparked me to think oh, you didn't really understand what we were talking about in the meeting, because no, little Derek is not going to get support with reading, he's actually not going to get taken out of his class for math support, because the IEP said he gets all that support in the classroom. And half the school year has gone by and these parents are thinking that their kid is getting pulled out for some specialized instruction. But that's not what the IEP says. So you feel relief, you might have some confusion, and then there's that panic that sets in, because you're not really sure what to do next.
Speaker 1:And here's the truth the IEP, which stands for Individualized Education Program or Plan. That is more than just paperwork. It's not something you just sign and stick in a binder and pull it out once a year when it's time to renew it. It's actually a roadmap for your child's success in school, if you know how to use it though and I've sat at the table with parents who know how to use it as a roadmap, and they get what their kid needs, far and beyond, sometimes, what the school actually believes is right. And then I've sat at the table with parents who get way less than what their child actually needs and the child struggles throughout the school year.
Speaker 1:And that's what today's episode is going to be about. And that's what today's episode is going to be about Taking that thick, intimidating document and turning it into something you can actually understand, track and make sure it's put into action. So grab a notebook, grab your notes app in your iPhone or on your iPad, because we're going to walk through how to read an IEP without getting lost in all that legal language, the exact questions to ask the IEP team. So you're getting real, actionable answers, because schools know how to say a lot without saying anything at all. I've been on the inside, I've sat at the table and been like that was a. That was a non answer answer, and any teachers out there watching you've said those tables too, if you're being honest, and you know a parent asks a question and you know they'll go like the school team hasn't worked out those details yet and you give a very vague, non-answer answer. So we're going to talk about those exact questions that you can ask the IEP team to make sure you get real, actionable answers.
Speaker 1:We're also going to talk today about ways to track your child's progress and how to spot things, how to spot it when things aren't going well, when they're not working. Everybody put their best plan together, for the IEP is being implemented and the progress is saying that what was implemented isn't working. And what do you do then? And then we're also going to talk about how parents and teachers can partner together to make sure the IEP team works in real life and not just on paper, because the goal here isn't just to have an IEP. Yes, that is what you might have been seeking in the beginning, but now that you've got it, we need to use it as a tool that helps your child grow, learn and thrive. So, whether you're a parent navigating this for the first time or a teacher who wants to build better support for families, make sure you stick around, because by the end of this episode, you'll have a clear game plan and practical strategies you can start using right away.
Speaker 1:So let's go ahead and dive in. So the first part I want to talk about understanding the IEP. Ok, first, let's break down the five most important sections of your child's IEP. If you can understand these, you'll be way ahead of the game. So the first section is the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. Now, this goes by many names depending on the state or the district that you're in. So it could be present levels of academic achievement, it could just be present levels of performance. It can go by PLP, plaf. If you've been in education or you've dealt with the IEP system, you know education loves its acronyms, so listen for those keywords.
Speaker 1:Present levels, whatever comes after it might vary, but present levels is giving you that snapshot of your child's education. It describes exactly where your child is right then in the moment, their skills, their strengths and their weaknesses. That's what's going to be laid out in the present levels. It's going to cover academics like reading, math and writing. It's also going to cover functional areas like social skills, behavior or communication, which is where I would come in as a speech therapist. So you don't want to skim this section. This is the baseline that every single goal in the IEP is built on.
Speaker 1:If the section is outdated or is inaccurate, the rest of the plan won't match your child's needs. So you have to ask yourself does this sound like my child right now, and if it doesn't ask for updated information, ask for recent data, because what it's going to say in that present level is Derek is reading at a second grade level, or Derek is reading two grades below where he currently is. Or it might say something like Derek is performing below average in math, he can't add two-digit math problems, he can't perform different math functions For writing. It might say that he uses poor grammar, can't formulate sentences to articulate his thoughts. For a speech therapist it might say that the child's producing certain sounds incorrectly. Or there might be social skills concerns. The child doesn't know how to engage in conversation with a peer. Or it could be behavioral, where the child is, you know, having tantrums, meltdowns, escaping the classroom. All of that is going to be in the present levels.
Speaker 1:So make sure that it matches what you see in your kid. And if it doesn't, it doesn't mean that it's untrue, right? Because we know a lot of times kids act one way at home and one way at school. Then vice versa, right? So just because you haven't experienced it, you haven't seen your kid do that, don't discount it completely, because the teacher is with your kid for seven hours a day, so they're going to see a lot more and your teacher is viewing your kid in some challenging academic or social settings as well. So at home you know, kick back, watch TV, play some games, go outside, whatever, but in school your kid's being challenged, so that might produce behaviors that you don't see at home.
Speaker 1:So if there is something in the IEP that doesn't match what you've seen, ask for examples. Hey, you said my kid has meltdowns when he's asked to do X, y and Z. Can you give me a recent example of when that happened? You want to think about what led up to it. Maybe if the teacher can remember what day it happened, because maybe it was a rough morning at home too and it kind of makes sense that he came into the classroom and was asked to do something that he's done before and just went off. Maybe If your child is having difficulty with math, and maybe at home when you all sit down to do math, that it looks way different. But remember, you're sitting down with your kid one-on-one, so of course the performance and output might look different than it does in a class of 25, 30 kids who are all getting the same instruction at one time. So just keep those things in mind.
Speaker 1:Just because what's listed in the present levels doesn't match up exactly with what you've seen your child do, doesn't mean that it's incorrect. This might mean that it's an extra piece of information that you need to include in how you're processing the rest of what is coming in the IEP. Now, if there's something outrageous in that IEP present levels that you've never seen your kid do, never heard of your child doing, then you want to ask some deeper questions like why weren't you informed that this was happening? Why wasn't your kid given some support in the moment, or what kind of support the kid was giving? So don't be afraid to ask those questions if the present levels don't sound like your kid right now. But keep in mind that it's a different standard at school than it is at home.
Speaker 1:Okay, so present levels is the first of the five sections that you really need to pay attention to. The second, most important section is going to be goals and objectives. So these are measurable targets your child will work toward for the school year. A good goal should be specific, it should be measurable and it should be realistic. Goals for an IEP are written for a calendar year, not just a school year, so the goal can't just say improve reading. That's not measurable, it's not specific. And what the heck does improve reading mean? Does that mean they're going to learn to read one new word for the whole school year? Or 50 new words for the whole school year? So that's not specific enough.
Speaker 1:So if you see anything in your kid's IEP that doesn't meet those standards being specific, measurable and realistic then you want to start asking some questions. So instead of improved reading, a better goal would be Johnny will improve reading fluency to 90 words per minute with 95% accuracy over three weekly consecutive assessments. That is very specific. We know that he's going to get to a certain number of words per minute. We know the percentage of accuracy we want him to do that at, and then we know how long we want him to do it. We don't want him to just do it one time and then it's like, oh great, johnny Redd met his goal. No, no, no, because we all know one day we're capable of something, the next day it might be challenging. So making sure that they're looking at what your child can do over some consecutive sessions, assessments, something like that.
Speaker 1:You want specific goals that give you and the school something concrete to measure and to celebrate when it's achieved, because that's the goal of an IEP, right? You want to set things in place that are realistic, that the child can achieve. So if your child is in the second grade and maybe reading on a first grade level, you wouldn't expect to see a goal in the IEP to say the child would be reading above grade level in a calendar year. That's not realistic. We want to get them to where they should be, because in education we're always looking, unfortunately, from a reactive standpoint versus a proactive standpoint. So we're trying to get kids to where they should be. Anything above and beyond that is extra and that's not where we are looking to get kids to go. We want to get them where they're supposed to be. Looking to get kids to go. We want to get them where they're supposed to be. So the goals and the objectives are going to be very important, making sure that they're specific, measurable and realistic.
Speaker 1:All right, the third of those five important pieces of the IEP is going to be the services and supports. All right, so this section spells out the help that your child will get. That could include specialized instruction, accommodations like extra time on tests, modifications on assignments or related services like speech therapy. So you want to make sure that each service lists a frequency, a duration and a setting, not just as needed. For example, it should say speech therapy 30 minutes twice a week, small group. Very clear. You know that your child's going to get speech therapy for 30 minutes. You know that your child is going to get speech therapy for 30 minutes twice a week. So 60 minutes a week in a small group setting.
Speaker 1:If the supports and services section says speech support as needed, no, we're not signing that. You're not signing that as the parent and as a speech therapist. You're not writing that in IEP either. As a teacher, you're not allowing the SLP or the speech therapist to write that in the IEP. It cannot be just as needed. It needs to spell out exactly what the child is going to get. If the child is going to get reading instruction 45 minutes a day in a small group, then that is what it needs to say.
Speaker 1:If it says math instruction in the general education setting, you know that that math coach, that math specialist is going into their general education classroom, not pulling the child out into a small group, into for specialized instruction in a separate classroom. So make sure you're picking up on those keywords because a lot of times at the table, educators around the table yeah, you're going to work on math, we're going to get your kid on grade level with math. We wrote these goals and so the math teacher is going to work with him. You might have, as the parent, a different understanding of what we're going to work with him means. So ask some questions. What does that mean? Does that mean that the math specialist is going to come into the classroom? Does that mean that my kid's going to come out of his class into the math specialist class to work on things? Is it going to be a combination of both? And, if so, how much time is that math specialist going to spend in my kid's classroom and how much time is my kid going to spend in the math specialist classroom? Asking those questions because it should be spelled out very clearly in that services and support section.
Speaker 1:All right, so the fourth of the five important topics in the IEP, or sections in the IEP, is the placement, and we kind of just touched on that because this is where your child will receive services general education, resource room or another program. Placement should be based on your child's needs, not convenience, on your child's needs, not convenience. I'm going to say that again Placement should be based on your child's needs and not convenience. Just because your child's school only has a math specialist in the building three days a week doesn't mean that your child can only get specialized math instruction three days a week. The fact that the math specialist is in the building only three days a week as a parent is classified as not your problem. That's a school problem. That's a problem that the school needs to figure out. If your kid needs specialized math instruction five days a week Because he can't get it five days a week if the math specialist isn't there, right. But that's not your problem as a parent to figure out and that's not on you as the parent to say, oh well, she's only here three days a week, so okay, I guess my kid's only going to get a specialized math instruction three days a week.
Speaker 1:No, as a speech therapist I bounced around from school to school just because it's a high demand profession and there's more kids that need speech than there are speech therapists to have one at every school. So I bounced around from school to school and I couldn't say, well, oh, I'm only at, you know, I'm only at Abbott Elementary two days a week, so your kid can only get speech two days a week. If all of the resources and benchmarks and reports that I'm looking at say that this kid needs speech more than that, I can't just say, well, I'm only here two days a week, so he can only get speech two days a week. I can say it. And you as a parent, if you don't pick up on that or ask some extra questions, the conversation is just going to keep on rolling. That's why I say you need to know your rights as a parent and you need to understand what the IEP actually means for your child. Don't sit at the table and get steamrolled. If it doesn't make sense, ask a question. If you are unsure, ask a question.
Speaker 1:All right, there is something called least restrictive environment LRE is what it's referred to in the schools, and this is meaning that your kid is with their peers as much as possible, but still getting the support that they needed. So this is why this is important, because there was a time when kids were put in what they call self-contained classrooms. They were never with their general education peers. They were always in a separate classroom with kids who only had IEPs who only had special needs and they could have been behavioral challenges. The kid was having academic, cognitive, all the things and those kids were basically shoved to the side and ignored. That's just the best way I can put it. So a lot of lawsuits happened in schools and so things changed.
Speaker 1:So now highlighting that least restrictive environment is very important for schools because at the district level they are looking at the percentage of time kids are in their general education classroom and the percentage of time that kids are in a specialized classroom, and if that percentage of them being in the specialized classroom starts to get too high, somebody at the district should be asking questions, because we have to really focus on least restrictive environments. So if you get any pushback from the school about how much out of class support your kid is getting or that you want your kid to get, and they start talking about LRE, know that this is why there is accountability that the school has to meet from a district perspective. But that doesn't mean that your kids need to get trampled on. It just means it's something to always keep in mind and consider. So maybe they start the school year out getting a lot of services out of the classroom and as they build up those skills in that small group, they start to come back into the general education classroom more and more. I know there are some parents who don't want their kids pulled out at all because it's stigmatized. Oh, they're getting pulled out because they need help and you don't want other kids snickering from their general education classroom, then that's something you need to talk about with your kid. Why are you getting pulled out? Because you need extra support, and that doesn't mean that you're dumb. It doesn't mean that you're not going to accomplish goals. It just means you need a little extra focus in this particular area. So having a conversation is really important.
Speaker 1:The fifth and final most important area of the IEP is progress monitoring. This tells you how and when you'll be updated on progress towards your goals. Typically it's going to be quarterly that you'll get the progress reports. Sometimes they go home with report cards. There might be other timelines. So make sure that's laid out in the IEP, because if you're only hearing about progress on your kids' goals at the annual IEP meeting remember it runs for a full year If you're only getting updates at the next year mark about how your kid is doing on their goals, that's the problem. That is a whole problem and also illegal. You should have regular updates that lets you see what's working and what's not before months and months go by.
Speaker 1:The school year is not very long if you're looking at it in terms of kids that are behind and need to get caught up. That they're behind and they're catching up. Their same grade level peers are still moving on. So we got to have your kid not only get caught up but also now meet up with where the rest of his peers are as well for that grade level. So make sure that the IEP states how often you're going to get progress reports. They come home, they take each goal that is in the IEP and they report progress on it. If the goal was for improving reading fluency to 95%, the progress report should tell you where your child is at that moment. Child is at that moment, whether, again, the timeline is quarterly or if it goes home every nine weeks with reporting report cards. Sometimes you might get progress reports at that interim time period as well. So every four and a half weeks and they go home with report cards. So ask those questions. Make sure you understand what that timeline is for, when you're going to get those progress reports All right. So my golden rule do not just read the IEP once and file it away. It is a living document and it should be treated like a living document. Revisit it often so you can adjust as needed. You do not want to wait until a full year has gone by to find out that your kid has made little to no progress.
Speaker 1:One thing educators don't like to do is spend all day in meetings. So you can meet more than once a year for your child's IEP. But unless it's something seriously impacting the flow of the classroom, the student's safety or the safety of others, very rarely are schools going to say oh yeah, let's have a quick IEP meeting before the annual review of the IEP. It's because you might have quite a few kids in your classroom with IEPs and most times schools are scheduling these IEP meetings during teacher planning blocks, which is so unfair and a whole nother topic. But they're taking up the teacher's planning time with the IEP meeting topic, but they're taking up the teacher's planning time with the IEP meeting. So very rarely our parents or, I'm sorry, our teacher's going to say oh yes, we need to have another IEP meeting and another IEP meeting so we can keep updating things, but you as a parent can always call for a meeting to be held. That is your right as a parent.
Speaker 1:All right, it is so important to build partnership with your school team. I've sat in meetings where parents are on one side, school staff on another. Parents have brought an educational advocate or educational lawyer. There's recording devices on the table, everybody is stressed and parents at that point are usually pissed. It's no fun. If you can build up partnerships with the school team, then hopefully that can stop you from getting to the point where you have to bring in legal help to get what your kid needs. So an IEP can look amazing on paper, but it only works if the people on the team work well together. That's where the partnership comes in. So the school sees your child in the classroom and you see them at home, just like I talked about before. Both perspectives are valuable and the IEP team works best when everybody's voice is heard.
Speaker 1:So I have some tips for strong communication. Get out your notes. Get out your notes, ok, tips for strong communication. So the first one set regular check ins. Weekly emails, monthly phone calls, a shared notebook, some way for you to have regular check ins. I say do this even if your kid doesn't have an IEP, but especially if your kid has an IEP, because you need to know what's going on. You're not there on a daily basis. Your kid might come home and be like, yeah, everything was great and he done threw a chair across the classroom earlier today. Or your kid might come home and say, yeah, I didn't get speech today and I know as a speech therapist, I pulled him from class and he had speech therapy. So you need to be checking in.
Speaker 1:If there's conflicting information, if there's something that you're seeing at home that you feel like could impact your kid at school, share those things Teachers and parents want to know. I had a student that one time was just a great kid and then all of a sudden one day, I don't know, it was like something changed. He was just frustrated at the smallest things, not getting along with his friends anymore, just very argumentative, and we all were like what is going on? Come to find out after he had gotten in trouble, for it wasn't a full blown fight, but it was like pushing and shoving and parents got called in. We found out that parents were going through a divorce. What is going on at home impacts the kids. You have to understand that, please. As a parent, you might not want to tell all your business to a school, but you can just say we have some things going on that might cause our son or daughter to have a shift in their reaction to things, maybe their personality. We're working on it at home. I haven't told you any of my business, but I have alerted you that you may see some changes.
Speaker 1:That's the communication part. That is part of the weekly check-ins. My second tip for strong communication attend all conferences, the parent-teacher conferences and all IEP reviews. You can't make it. Don't let the school swindle you into. We'll just send the paperwork home. They'll send it home for you to sign, but now you have had your ability to ask questions taken away, because if you have questions about the IEP, you're either going to have to ask them for another meeting later or send your questions via email. So make it a point to attend those annual IEP reviews. They come up once a year. Let the school know in advance. I can't do after this time. On these days of the week or nowadays, a lot of parents are participating virtually. I can call in, I can be on Zoom.
Speaker 1:Make sure you have a draft copy of that IEP before the meeting. Do not do not, as a parent, come into your child's IEP meeting blind. You need time to look at that document, highlight circle, make notes whatever before the meeting actually happens. Most districts have a timeline of when they have to get a draft of the IEP to parents for them to review. Your school district might have a five-day timeline, so meaning five days before the meeting you have to have a copy of the IEP. Some are 48 hours before the meeting.
Speaker 1:So ask that question. Let them know you want to see a draft copy of the IEP beforehand. Take some time to read it. Is it a lot of fun to sit and read an IEP late night when you could be scrolling social media or watching something on Netflix? But this is your child's school success on the line. So you know parenting comes with sacrifices. This is one up. So make sure you lead all communications.
Speaker 1:My third tip for strong communication All communications. My third tip for strong communication lead with how can we work together to support my child? That question alone signals to everybody sitting at that table that you are invested and you are committed to your child's success. How can we work together to support my child. If the teacher rattles off all these challenges the kid is having at school, how can we work together to support this? How can we work together to improve this? So make sure you're setting those regular check-ins, attending all conferences and IEP reviews and leading with that question of how can we work together to help the kid. So it's very important that you also understand who the IEP team is.
Speaker 1:Again, there are special education laws in place that require certain things to happen in the special education process and even though there are laws out there, you would be surprised how many schools skirt around the law because they know parents don't know any better. So, yeah, I might have this meeting. I'm not going to have the general education teacher there because she's busy and she doesn't want to give up her teacher planning, or she called out today and we don't want to reschedule the meeting. So we'll just bring the speech therapist in and she can sign as the general education teacher and the special education teacher. I have been asked that before and my response to that is oh, no, I won't. I will not sign as a general education teacher because I'm not a general education teacher.
Speaker 1:So know the team roles, those required members of the IEP team. Get your notes out. The required members are going to be the general education teacher, the special education teacher, any related service provider, like myself, occupational therapy, maybe, assistive technology teacher, physical therapy. The fourth required team member is going to be an administrator. And then you, as the parent, you are a required team member. That is why, if you can't make a meeting, the school is going to say we'll send this home. Please make sure you sign it. You're a required member. So those five required IEP team members are going to be a general education teacher, special education teacher, any related service providers you may or may not have those an administrator and a parent, an administrator and a parent Y'all are all equal team members.
Speaker 1:As a parent, you are not at the IEP meeting as a guest. No, you are at that IEP meeting as an equal team player. Your input, your say-so, your questions are just as valuable as the general education teacher, as that administrator sitting there. So make sure that you understand that partnership means you won't agree on everything, but you are a part of the team just like everybody else and you'll handle any disagreements respectively, because the shared goal of everybody there at the table is helping the child succeed. That is what everybody should be focused on, and so there might be disagreements.
Speaker 1:You might get to that IEP meeting and get through two of the six goals on the IEP, because there's so much discussion that after an hour you have to leave. The teacher has to get back to class and y'all haven't finished going through the IEP yet, and that's okay. You can schedule another IEP meeting to finish going through the IEP. So don't feel like you have to rush through it because there's only 30 minutes or there's only 45 minutes, and so I got to make. We have to make sure we get through this. If you hear the school saying anything like well, okay, the teacher has to get back in about 10 minutes, so let's you know, let's keep moving. If you need to ask questions for clarification, don't let anybody speed you up. They can schedule another meeting. It's a headache and a pain, trust me, I understand, but we're all doing what we need to do because we want to see the child succeed. All right.
Speaker 1:So we have talked about the five important parts of the IEP, we've talked about building the partnerships with the school team, and now we're going to talk about monitoring progress and making adjustments. So an IEP team an IEP, I mean is only as good as the progress it produces. Kids need change so we have to monitor things regularly. Kids make progress, then they might regress. Then they double their progress and double their progress again, then they might regress. So we have to keep track of those changes and monitor it regularly. So keep all of your documents in one place All your IEPs, your reports, notes, emails, progress reports.
Speaker 1:Make sure you're comparing the progress report to the actual IEP goals. Remember the progress that you see in those progress reports are, and should be, tied back to the goals and objectives in the IEP. If the goal is addressing reading and the progress is talking about social skills, that's a mismatch. Somebody made a mistake and you need to be asking questions. Make sure that the progress report is actually tying back to the IEP goals. If you have any concerns about the progress that your kid is making and the need to make any adjustments, you need to document specific examples, communicate with the team. Request the meeting. Remember you don't have to wait for the annual IEP to ask for a meeting. So request the meeting. If the IEP ends in June and is November and you have questions, you are fully within your rights as a parent to request an IEP meeting to discuss your concerns.
Speaker 1:Know your rights. You can request changes or dispute anything in the IEP if needed. A lot of times they give this thick pamphlet of parent education rights. Nobody reads it. Very few people read it. It's very thick. They usually give it to you one time. Sometimes they'll offer it and you can say I have a copy, I don't want another copy. They can give you a digital version sometimes as well. But I don't really like the parent education rights that they give out because it's not reader-friendly if you don't have a background in education. It doesn't really spell it out in easy to figure out ways. That's where educational consultants like myself and educational advocates come into play to help you decipher what all that means. But know your rights. Ask someone, go look it up online, ask ChatGPT, figure out what your rights are so that way you're not at the table getting steamrolled. I've seen it happen.
Speaker 1:Remember, most importantly, the IEP is not set in stone. It is a living, flexible document. So if they write goals and in two months your child has met those goals, it doesn't mean that the IEP is done. It just means that we are looking to see what the next goal should be. Maybe there is a next level, maybe there's not. But just because they met their goals does not mean that the IEP is dead. No, no, no. You can always add new goals, adjust goals, look for other areas of need. Remember how hard you worked to get that IEP. You don't want to just give it up because somebody said, oh, they met their goals. You want to make sure they met their goals. You want to see that documented in the progress reports. You want to see confirmation of it in assignments and assessments that they bring home. So make sure that before you say, okay, we're done with the IEP, that you really understand and agree with the fact that your child has met the goals and there's no additional areas of need that could be represented in this IEP.
Speaker 1:All right, one of my last important points I know is talked about a lot, so rewind, share, listen to it again. One of my last points is advocacy. It is not about being combative or combative, sorry. Advocacy isn't about being combative. It is about being informed and confident Advocate for your child. You are your. I tell parents this all the time. You are your child's first teacher. You are your child's strongest advocate. Let me say that again, mic on you are your child's first teacher. You are your child's strongest advocate. So remember, when you advocate for your child, don't come into it the mindset of like, oh, I don't want to be that parent. No, because it's not about being competitive. It is about being informed, knowing your rights and being confident in what you're asking about. Because you know your rights and because you know your child.
Speaker 1:So know the basics of your child's IEP, understand their strengths and their needs, document everything. Keep copies of all communication, just like you would their doctor reports or anything else medically related. Keep up with this IEP in the same manner, because if you can't find a copy, you have to call the school. Hey, can I get a copy of my kid's IEP? The first thing that says to the educators is oh, this parent then tapped in. They don't even keep up with their kid's documents. This parent then tapped in, they don't even keep up with their kids documents. I'm telling you because I know keep all copies of ieps and any communication. You get those progress reports home, file it away. You get a letter a child's been suspended or put in in-school suspension and you get a letter telling you what the infraction was. File it away. So when it comes time for the next IEP meeting, go to one place and pull everything you need out and look like you are informed in that meeting.
Speaker 1:If you knew how much of a difference it makes when a parent walks into an IEP room like an IEP meeting conference room. When they walk in and as the meeting's getting started, the parents take out a piece of paper, a notepad, an iPad, anything to write some notes down. It sends a signal to every person representing the school at that meeting that you are tapped in, you are listening and you are taking responsibility and ownership of your child's kid. I have told parents even if you don't write anything down anything meaningful in that notebook, put it on the table when people start introducing themselves, just start writing names down. Maybe interrupt one person. Oh, I'm sorry, tell me your name again. It changes the mindset of the school staff sitting at that table. It does. I've been there. You're like oh, they're paying attention. Oh, when I said this, they wrote it down tied to my name. Let me make sure that what I'm saying is not only legal but it makes sense, because this parent just wrote it down next to my name. The parent wrote down my kid can only have specialized math instruction twice a week because the math specialist is only here twice a week and they tie it to that educator's name. Who said it. They'll perk up guaranteed.
Speaker 1:So make sure you understand your child's strengths and weaknesses. Keep all copies of communication. Avoid vague questions how is my kid doing? How's Derek doing? Instead, ask for data and examples. They tell you your kid isn't making progress in one area. Ask them for some data. Let me see your data. If they say oh well, you know we don't need to really change the setting for their services because we feel really confident, if we stick with what the plan is right now, that your kid is going to meet the goal or make the progress that we want to see if we keep keeping him in the general education classroom for reading instruction.
Speaker 1:Ask them for data. Ask them to compare the data from him being in the class and the data from him being in a specialized classroom. Look at the numbers. Schools rely on numbers and data and spreadsheets so much. The data should be plentiful. So if they have a problem getting it to you, then there's a problem. So ask for data instead of just saying how are they doing? Oh, are they reading better? Ask for some data to back it up. Lastly, collaborate first and escalate if necessary. Let's say that again Collaborate first, create and build those strong partnerships with your school team and escalate if necessary. Start with teamwork, but push for change if needed. Start with teamwork and push for the change if is needed.
Speaker 1:If you're not getting answers to your questions, you're asking for data. You don't get it. You're asking for a meeting you're not getting it. You're asking for a draft of certain documents. You're not getting it. Ask hey, I really want to. You know, be aware of what's going on with my kid. Can you please give me X, y and Z? Give them time to get it to you, because school staff are busy. Trust me, got a lot going on in one day. Give them time to get it to you, and if you ask again you still don't get it, you ask again and you still don't get it. Maybe you escalate to the principal, and if you still feel like you're getting the runaround escalating everybody has a boss, right Go to that district website and start looking up people who's the superintendent, who's the associate superintendent? Start asking questions. Make sure, though, if you're going to escalate. You have proper documentation of all the attempts you've made, the non-responses you've received, the vague responses you received.
Speaker 1:If you're going to escalate, make sure you have all your ducks in a row, because nothing is worse than a parent being the squeaky wheel with nothing to back it up. Don't be that parent. You need something to back up your concerns. You need something to back up the denial of what you have been asking for. You need that and it can't just be oh well, yeah, because two weeks ago I asked for this and then I no, no, no, no. Remember, schools rely on data, so make sure you have your data.
Speaker 1:I called on Monday, august 11th, and left a message for the assistant principal and did not get a response. I sent an email to the teacher on Tuesday and did not get a response. You need to come in strong with your attempts. Show that you were trying to be a part of the team, show that you were trying to be invested and involved in your child's success, and then show how your involvement was met, with either being ignored or being deferred or being given vague information. But if you're going to escalate which I support make sure you have your ducks in a row. Make sure that you're escalating correctly, because you don't want to become the parent that escalates and don't know what you're talking about. That you actually did get a response from the teacher. It was in your inbox and you didn't check. You did get a phone call back from the principal, but your uh voicemail you didn't check. It't be that parent. So make sure you come correct if you're going to escalate.
Speaker 1:So, as we wrap up, some of the big takeaways from today understand your child's IEP, every section in it. Build a strong, respectful partnership with your school team. Monitor progress regularly and speak up early if something isn't working. Be informed, be an informed advocate. Know what you're talking about. Know your collaboration changes everything, changes lives and together parents and teachers can make the IEP more than just paperwork. It can become a plan for success. This was a lot of information. Please watch it again. Share it. I hope that you found it very helpful. Don't forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel. Don't forget to download episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And until next time, keep advocating, keep collaborating and keep believing in what's right for your child and what's possible for your kid as well. So we'll see you next week with another episode. Thanks for watching. Bye, be sure to share this episode and join me next week for a brand new Tuesday Talks. See ya.