The IEP Process - How to Start
An apple placed on top of three books next to some colored pencils and letter blocks. Image source: Unsplash.
I think my child might need an IEP what can I do? How do I get my child an IEP? Special education can seem overwhelming at first. When wondering if your child might need an IEP, it is important to think about the reasons that your child may be having a tough time in school. If you believe that your child may have a disability that qualifies them for special education, here is an overview of the IEP process. As a reminder, this website is specifically for those of us living in California. If you are located in California, read on. If you aren’t located in California, you can still read, but it might not be as relevant.
Before we begin, as a reminder I am in no way a lawyer. The information I provide below is a summary for educational purposes. If you would like legal advice please seek out the support of a lawyer. Now let’s dive in!
A Brief Breakdown of the IEP Process in California
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It is important for you to notify the district and request an evaluation for special education services. Special education referrals can be submitted by school staff members or parents and guardians of the child. The easiest way to do this is through email. Requesting a response is a great way to know that the referral has been received.
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Once the district has received a referral, they must get consent from the family to assess the student. In California the IEP team has 60 days from the day this is signed to assess the student and prepare documents for the IEP meeting.
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During assessments, your child may be assessed by a variety of educators. These educators may include a school psychologist, resource teacher, speech pathologist, Occupational Therapist, and others. You will most likely be asked by some or all of them to fill out some questionnaires and forms. While these forms can be overwhelming, you can always ask questions. Don’t feel like you have to figure out everything on your own because odds are, someone will know what to do!
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Scheduling can be harder the more IEP team members there are. For an initial meeting, the team will likely try to set up a meeting time as far in advance as they can. This can help make sure that no one’s schedules fill up, we don’t want to miss important deadlines!
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You can request that the reports be sent to you ahead of time. This can help you in understanding and preparing for the meeting. Looking over the documents and reports ahead of time can help you feel more prepared in a meeting. But, if it is your first time looking at IEP documents, its hard to know where to look and what it all means. I’m not saying that so you’ll hire me, I’m saying it because its true. Whether you talk to your significant other, a family friend, a teacher in the family, or someone like me, it can really help to reach out to someone. The more that you can lean on others for support, the more comfortable you can get with the overwhelming amount of information that will get thrown at you.
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If your meeting is in person, it will probably start with a teacher passing around a participation sheet for team members to sign. This does not mean that you are signing away consent for all of the documents, it is just to state that you were present in the meeting. In the meeting, all assessors will present their reports and declare if your child is eligible for special education services. Having questions written out ahead of time can help you keep track of your thoughts. I also recommend bringing a notepad or laptop to take notes for yourself. At the end of the day, whatever helps you remember information will work best for you. Remember, a lot of information will be provided during the meeting. It is okay to ask questions, ask for the team to repeat information, and it’s okay to need a short break. Meetings can be long. At the end of the meeting if your child is eligible for services, they will present you with a signature page for consent of the documents. You are not required to sign the documents on the spot. It is perfectly acceptable to take everything home and look at it. The team can send you home with physical copies of the documents and/or digital copies. Tell them what works best for you.
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Take your time looking over documents, but also remember that your child cannot receive services from the team until they have explicit consent from you (the signed IEP documents). This is the step that can seem the scariest. You were just given a stack of documents and now you have to read through them all like a school assignment. It helps to know what the most important parts are in the documents, but that can depend on the student and their needs. This is another great time to lean on your community or reach out to an advocate or consultant for support. I love making videos breaking down IEPs for families. Once you “Unjumble” the documents, you can ask for clarifications, notify the team of any parts that seem out of place, or sign the documents so that you child can start their special educational journey.
While this was a (somewhat) brief overview of the initial IEP process in California, it is in no way a full picture. For a breakdown of the parts of an IEP please visit my blog page or do some research for yourself. I also have a list of free resources on my page that I have collected. I will add more free resources as I happen upon them. Starting to research online is a great step towards becoming an educational advocate for your child. If you need any help, you can always reach out to your child’s teacher, an administrator, or even an advocate (just like me if you’re interested). Whatever you choose to do, celebrate it! You have taken the first big step in helping your child. Whether or not your child ends up being eligible for special education, the team will know more about your child and what may help them.