Being Prepared for IEPs

Although we no longer participate in the IEP process, I thought I'd share some helpful information that I learned along the way.  There are many aspects to the IEP process.  I am not an attorney or all-knowing specialist regarding them.  I merely learned some very hard lessons through our IEP process.

The IEP in a nutshell is your child's documented guide to their education.  It should be based on appropriate assessment of their individual needs and strengths. One thing I discovered, and it's a big thing, HUGE really... is that my son had been negatively cognitively labeled without one cognitive assessment by a highly-trained and qualified individual ever being done on him.  The level, or lack of cognitive levee, was assumed and it did a lot of damage to his education and intellectual performance. If only I'd known then what I know now.  Particularly since I trusted individuals within the process to assist and guide me.  They were not on my side nor F's side.

So in a nutshell I'm going to list some things that I wish someone had told me.  I cannot at this time go into my son's long drawn out education and hit the highlights.  If you visited my About My Blog page then you know that I want to cover a lot of territory.  For now, I just have to put things down that I think can be the most helpful and beneficial.  If you have questions, please comment or contact me.  F and I are pretty open about our experiences.  You can email us at:

Lemonadeandporcupines@gmail.com

Key things that I think very parent should remember:

• Your IEP team is payed and employed by a school district or third-party provider.  They do not work for you.  They provide a service and that service is controlled and dictated by the employing district.  They all appear to have your child's best interest's at heart and many educators and DIS providers really want your child to succeed, but and it's a big but, they may have their hands tied and you may never know it. 
• Document EVERYTHING in writing.  A small conversation you have had with any provider, teacher, administrator should always be documented and submitted back to them for verification.  If they do not correct the document it becomes fact and a part of your records that you maintain for your child.  If they are doing a good job they will also make those documents become part of your child's school records.  This documentation, no matter how small or trivial you may believe it is, can be your best asset should you need it later.
• Always communicate your requests for assessments, progress reports, IEP's, etc. in WRITING.  Always copy all participating parties and administrators (teacher, program specialist, princiipel, etc.).  Document, document, document.  Notice the emphasis on DOCUMENTING!
• Always record your IEP meetings.  You must give notice to the district in writing, and if memory serves me correctly, 48-hours notice is required.  But you should know the meeting is scheduled and be able to plan for that. 
• Assessments should reflect what your child CAN do and their strengths.  If they reflect that your child is happy and has a supportive family that cares them... that's not really about what your child CAN do, nor is it an individual strength.
• It's a good rule of thumb to ask them to give examples and to show you what goal implementation looks like. I like them to support their motives and intentions with regard to goal setting and their plan for implementation.
• For children with health needs, remember to make sure you have your doctor's orders as specific as they can be and include them in the IEP details.  Don't just fill out medical forms and expect those things to be addressed as part of the IEP.  If it's not in the IEP it doesn't have to be done.  For example, two-person lifting.  My son had an aide that worked for him, put in place by the district, she did not think she needed to perform a two person lift.  She would subsequently end up fracturing my son's femur during his school day.  To this day, we do not know exactly what happen, but we have an idea of how it occurred, confirmed by our son. Two-person lifting was not addressed within our IEP.  
• Your child's records, request them.  Read them, get to know them.  Look at what has been done and/or not done.  You want everything IEPs, assessments, health records, transportation records, medication logs, etc.  There is no piece of paper in your child's file that is not important until you have looked at every single one.  It takes time, but trust me you will learn a whole lot about your child's education or lack of. I discovered my child wasn't receiving an education.  He was participating in childcare. 
• When my son failed to meet their crappy goals he was blamed for it.  It was never the teacher's fault or the DIS providers.  It was my son's failure.  According to them it had nothing to do with the fact they didn't follow through or implement the goals.  Nor was it because their goals were not based on assessments.  According to the IEP team it was because my son was unmotivated, unteachable, and unhealthy.  Nor did they ever take into consideration the learning environment. 
• Don't sign an IEP at the meeting.  Take a copy of the IEP home with you.  Read it add notes and make corrections to it as needed.  Make sure it clearly represents the meeting along with your input and participation.  The district I was in, only documented what they wanted documented in the IEP.  Once I became skilled at this... it frustrated them tremendously because it began to create a history of what they were NOT doing.  I began to get control of my child's education and it made them uncomfortable.
• If at any time you feel your child is not safe at school, do not take these feelings lightly.  Go with your gut.  Make unannounced visits at the classroom.  You can come up with a valid reason to stop by and see your child.  Catching a glimpse of what's happening when you arrive unexpectedly can tell you a lot about the classroom.
• If your child comes home crying multiple times in a week and they are nonverbal, try not to brush it off as just being uncomfortable.  This happened to us and I merely though my child was in pain.  It wasn't pain it was boredom and stress he was under in the environment he was in.  Listening to screaming kids and and fearing one that was aggressive was not a positive learning environment for him.  If only I'd investigated further.
• Know that you are your child's best advocate.  You may have to be a squeaky wheel, you may have to invest a lot of time, but you know your child best and never let anyone convince you that you are not the expert on your child!

I chose to hire an advocate to teach and educate me about my child's records and the IEP process.  She came to the table with a different eye view.  She made all of the difference in how I saw my son as a student. The knowledge I gained from her was invaluable. It still helps me to this day. 

IEP's are stressful. Mine became so contentious that it gave me anxiety to deal with the program specialist.  I tried and tried to negotiate with the district. I documented my son's case meticulously.  I even filed compliance complaints.  However, educating my son was not a priority.  I eventually hired an attorney and worked  the process with representation.