As an early childhood educator, I have been involved in many Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. In these meetings, an Individualized Education Program—a legal document that spells out a child’s learning needs, the services the school will provide, and how progress will be measured—is reviewed and discussed. My daughter was diagnosed with a speech delay at age 1, and when my husband and I attended her first IEP meeting when she was 3, I was terrified. I realized that even though I knew some things about the process due to my experiences as an educator, the process looks, feels, and sounds different to a parent. Here are three tips that have helped me navigate the IEP process. Tip 1: Ask clarifying questions . During my daughter’s first IEP meeting, my husband and I met with the Speech and Language pathologist, the principal, and the resource teacher. They reviewed her assessment, diagnosis, and goals. Because of my fear of showing my limited knowledge of special educa
Family Voices Indiana is a family-led organization that provides information, education, training, outreach, and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs and the professionals who serve them.