I’ve attended more IEP meetings than I can count. Or even care to count. I get it–parents only call in a Special Education Advocate when there’s trouble. If you were happy with things, you wouldn’t need help, right?
But that means that as an advocate, I get to see a lot of crappy IEPs.
And it’s a question that I get from parents often. They want to know how to tell if their IEP is solid. Is it sufficient? Is it decent? How do I know?
How to tell when you have a crappy IEP.
There’s no one answer or IEP checklist. And, since kids are constantly changing and IEPs are fluid documents, even the best IEPs may only be suitable for a certain amount of time.
But as an advocate, I do know this–that there are many commonalities in what goes into a crappy IEP. So here are some things to look for, if you’re wondering about your IEP.
7 Signs that your IEP is Crap
- The Present Levels section does not describe your child at all. Look at your Present Levels Section of the IEP. If you read it and didn’t see your child’s name on the forms, would you know it was them? This is your starting point. The Present Levels section of the IEP is considered by many to be the most crucial section of the IEP because it is the section that drives the IEP. IEPs are needs-based. The goals written will be based on needs listed in Present Levels.
- You never receive any Progress Monitoring Reports. Getting a solid IEP is just the start. And the progress monitoring section is one that often gets overlooked. Look at yours and what you should be receiving. Are you? And is it enough? Is the IEP team re-convening to discuss and make adjustments if the reports show minimal progress? You have to think about the child’s progress all the time, not just at IEP renewal time.
- The IEP Goals are not meaningful or measurable. Your child’s goals are going to be based on the needs listed in Present Levels. But, they also need to be meaningful, appropriate, and relatively attainable with the right supports and services. Will these goals get your child to where they can be? Are they putting your child on the right path toward your vision? I once had a client whose transition plan said, “She likes to braid hair.” How is that meaningful or measurable? You can build goals from that activity, but it’s not a stand-alone goal or plan.
- Your IEP Meeting was a Jiffy Lube version. IEPs are supposed to be collaborative, not directive. Tell me if your IEP Meeting looks like this: You go to the meeting, not having received much, if any, correspondence ahead of time. Someone reads the IEP out loud. A few points are discussed, but most communication is directive rather than collaborative. You sign a few forms and you’re out the door. Sound familiar? It’s a common Parent IEP Mistake.
- The IEP team and your family do not share the same vision. What’s the plan? College? Vocational training? If your IEP team doesn’t know what the target destination is, how can they be expected to be on the right path? You can’t map out a journey if you don’t know the destination. Sit down as a family, create your IEP Vision Statement, and ensure the team is aware of it. Your child also needs to participate in the IEP process to the maximum extent possible.
- IEP Goals disappear from year to year. Shameless self-plug here, but only because it’s a necessary and valuable product. I created and sell the IEP toolkit, and some of the packages come with an IEP Goal Tracker. It’s a very helpful tool that allows you to track IEP goals from year-to-year as new IEPs are developed. That way, goals don’t disappear. Disappearing IEP goals tells me that you have an IEP team that only considers September to May, and is not focused on age 18 or 21 like parents are. See Item 5 above. The team needs to be focused on the end result, not just this school year.
- The IEP Meeting is the only part of the IEP process that you participated in and you didn’t submit a Parent Concerns Letter. Parent Participation in the IEP process does not begin and end with attending the IEP meeting. You need to fully engage all year long. And, there are 5 parts of the IEP process that are particularly conducive to parent participation. You should do all of them, to the maximum extent possible. If you’re not participating, of course your IEP is not going to reflect your concerns and your priorities.
Well, there are 7 things to look out for. I’m sure there are a few more. Like, if you did do a Parent Concerns letter, and your concerns are not listed on a PWN, that’s a red flag.
But chances are there’s overlap too. If you’re having another crappy IEP issue, you’re probably experiencing one of the above items too.
If some of the above items are happening, fix it. Engage. Get involved.
Not judging or shaming anyone here for what you’ve already allowed to happen. When you know better, you do better. And I get it–we all have life issues that get in the way. Illness, family issues, aging parents, job interferences, and so on.
How to Fix a Bad IEP
The numbers below correspond with the numbers above for your convenience.
- Engage in all parts of the IEP process, not just the IEP meeting. I’ve listed the “must-do” items for parents in the IEP process. Do them. All of them. If you continue to be a passive participant in the process, you’ll continue to get mowed over. And why not? It’s easier for them to not include you, and if you’re not asking to be included, they can reasonably assume you like it this way.
- Learn what Meaningful Progress Monitoring is and demand it in your IEP.
- Learn how to Write a Meaningful IEP Goal and have suggestions ready for your team. No, you do not have to write the entire IEP for them. But you should be aware of what your child’s goals are, if they are measurable and meaningful, be tracking those goals and offering suggestions.
- Properly prepare for your IEP meeting. Yes, I have a checklist for How to Prepare for your IEP Meeting.
- Sit down with your child and co-parent and create a Vision Statement for your child. Yes, of course I have a free workbook for that too.
- IEP Goals disappearing? Read number 2 again in this list and use the free IEP goal tracker.
- No Parent Concerns Letter? From now on, no excuse! I have templates, instructions, everything.
- Bonus Tip: Become a better advocate and learn the IEP process. Yes, I can show you that, too.
