Five Componets to Strong IEP Building

When I'm called into IEP meetings, it's often during a crisis. Parents are understandably frantic because their child is not receiving an appropriate education or services, the IEP is not being followed, and an IEP meeting is imminent.

In these situations, I often find that both sides have lost respect for each other and the special education process. A functioning IEP team requires parents and educators to work together and support the student. Just like any relationship, IEP teams need nourishment, love, and respect to function effectively.

However, team members don't always act like a team. For example, I've been to many IEP meetings where the school staff sits on one side of the table and the parents sit on the other; this is not conducive to collaboration.

Here are five key components to building a strong IEP team:

• Check your non-verbal communication:  Successful IEP teams have good non-verbal communication. Consider where everyone is sitting, if you're using electronic devices instead of engaging, what your body language conveys, and if you are open to new ideas or different perspectives.

• Respect all team members (including the student and parents): If the student is at the IEP meeting, use respectful, positive language when talking about their weaknesses and strengths.

• Listen: Good team members listen to each other's perspectives.

• Follow Meeting Norms: See this blog post for more information.

Stop blaming and start problem solving: The overarching goal is to grow and educate the student. Start by creating smaller goals (IEP goals) to achieve this larger goal.