This month, as part of our ongoing series on the Procedural Safeguards, we have been focusing on supporting families dealing with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). IEPs and the IEP process can sometimes feel confusing, so we thought we would share with you this helpful IEP Checklist brochure from Disability Rights MS. This brochure is easy to understand and is designed to help parents become knowledgeable and be prepared for IEP meetings. It’s divided into 3 sections, with a checklist for questions to consider before the meeting, during the meeting, and after the meeting.
Since the time the brochure was produced, Mississippi has discontinued the Mississippi Occupational Diploma and has added additional graduation options. We encourage you to think about your general dreams and goals for your child before any IEP meeting. Where do you want them to end up in the long run? College? Working full time? Working part time? Living on their own? Living with some support in the community? Everything on the IEP should flow from that. Your dreams and goals for your child and your child’s dreams and goals for themselves may change over time, but they should always be what guides everything else on the IEP. That is one of the most important areas of expertise and knowledge you and your child bring to the IEP process.
Another helpful resource for understanding IEPs is It’s Still A Good IDEA! A Community Guide to Special Education in Mississippi posted on the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center website. Information about preparing for IEP meetings begins on the bottom of page 37.
We had some technical recording delays with our recent webinar on Procedural Safeguards and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The slides and webinar should be posted to our website within the next 7 – 10 days.
[Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash]
