There is something pretty powerful about watching a parent go from sitting quietly in an IEP meeting to confidently asking questions, requesting data, and participating as an equal member of their child’s team.
I recently shared a funny reel about that face I make when a parent starts taking over their own IEP meeting and advocating for their child. The reel took off, but what caught my attention were the comments from parents asking:
“But what questions should I be asking?”
And that is such an important question.
You don’t have to be an IEP expert to be an effective member of your child’s team. You don't have to know every regulation or understand every piece of special education jargon. But you should understand what your child’s IEP says, what the school is doing to implement it, and whether your child is actually making progress.
The beginning of the school year is a perfect time to start asking.
Start With These Three Questions
If you ask nothing else, start here:
1. Who is responsible for implementing my child’s IEP and monitoring progress toward each goal?
You should know your child’s case manager, who is providing services, and who is responsible for collecting and reviewing progress-monitoring data.
2. What specially designed instruction will my child receive to address their individual needs and goals?
Ask who will provide the instruction, how often it will happen, where it will happen, and what the instruction will actually look like.
3. How will progress be measured, and how often can I see the actual data?
You shouldn't have to wait until the end of a nine-week grading period to discover that your child isn't progressing. Ask how progress will be measured and whether you can receive data regularly throughout the year.
Those three questions alone can tell you a LOT about how your child’s IEP is going to be implemented.
But they aren't the only questions you can ask.
Questions About Who Is Responsible
Who is my child’s case manager?
Who is responsible for implementing each service in the IEP?
Who is responsible for collecting data for each IEP goal?
Who is monitoring my child’s overall progress?
Who should I contact if I have concerns about services, accommodations, or progress?
Questions About IEP Implementation
How will all of my child’s teachers and service providers be informed about the IEP?
How will you make sure accommodations are implemented across different classes and settings?
When will my child’s services begin?
Can you walk me through what my child’s services will look like during a typical week?
Where will services be provided?
Who will provide them?
Will services be individual, small group, push-in, pull-out, or another format?
If my child leaves the classroom for services, what instruction will they miss?
Questions About Instruction
What specially designed instruction will my child receive for each identified need?
What instructional methods or interventions will be used?
What evidence supports using this approach for my child’s needs?
How often and for how long will my child receive this instruction?
Who will provide it?
What training or expertise does that person have?
How will instruction change if the data shows my child isn't responding?
Questions About Goals and Progress Monitoring
What is my child’s baseline for each goal?
Is each goal objectively measurable?
What specific measure will be used to monitor each goal?
Will you use the same or comparable measures throughout the year so we can accurately evaluate growth?
How often will data be collected?
Who will collect it?
What amount or rate of progress do we expect to see?
How will we know whether my child is on track to meet the goal?
Can I receive copies of the actual progress-monitoring data?
Can we establish a schedule for sharing that data, such as every two to three weeks?
Questions About What Happens When Something Isn't Working
What is the plan if my child isn't making adequate progress?
How will we determine whether instruction needs to change?
What will trigger the team to reconvene?
Who will notify me if the data begins showing a concern?
Could a lack of progress indicate that we are missing an underlying skill or need?
Do we need to change the intensity, frequency, duration, or type of instruction?
When will we meet again if my child isn't progressing?
Do we agree to reconvene before the annual meeting if the data indicate changes may be necessary?
Questions About Accommodations and Access
How will every teacher know which accommodations my child needs?
How will accommodations be provided across classes and educational settings?
How will accommodations be provided during classroom assessments and larger testing situations?
Does my child understand their accommodations and how to self-advocate for them when appropriate?
Does my child need additional assistive technology, supplementary aids, services, or supports?
What supports does my child need to be successful in the least restrictive environment?
Questions About Communication
What is the best way for us to communicate this year?
How often should we check in?
Who should be included in those conversations?
When is my child’s next IEP meeting?
If concerns arise before then, how do I request an IEP meeting?
Are there any concerns you're already seeing that we should address now?
And One Question I Really Want Parents to Ask
“Is there anything in my child’s IEP that you anticipate will be difficult to implement as written this school year?”
Because if there is a problem with staffing, scheduling, services, accommodations, or implementation, I would much rather know about it at the beginning of the year than discover it months later.
You Don't Have to Wait
An IEP isn't a document that should come out once a year for the annual meeting and then disappear into a file.
You are a member of your child’s IEP team all year long.
Ask questions. Ask for data. Understand the instruction your child is receiving. And if the data shows something isn't working, ask the team to come back together to discuss what needs to change.
The goal isn't to take over the IEP meeting. The goal is to know enough about your child's education to fully participate in it.
And yes, when a parent gets to that point?
That's usually when I start making that face. 😉