“IF YOU ARE LIKELY TO FEEL
OVERWHELMED, OR EVEN
BULLIED, AT ANY POINT
DURING THE IEP MEETING,
BRING AN ALLY. ”
note any issues that may
require a follow-up.
moment. You may also
wish to have a third party
review the draft. Return the
(unsigned) IEP to school
with questions/notes. If
necessary, call a follow-up
meeting to address any
new concerns.
Whatever you do, don’t
sign off on anything then
and there. Thank everyone for their time, and tell
them you need time to
review everything that was
brought to the table. I don’t Tame Your Inner Shark
know about you, but I can’t
think straight with all the
Most crucial of all in the
nerves flying around.
IEP process is your attitude. If you go in like a
DON’T Sign on the
shark, you are likely to end
Dotted Line
up in shark-infested waters. Be calm, and conduct
Set the IEP aside for at least yourself professionally at
a full day and then go back all times. If you do so, not
and review it with a clear
only will you get back what
head. Some red flags may
you give, but also, your
crop up that you hadn’t
child will reap the rewards
noticed in the heat of the
in the year ahead.
School photos courtesy of Pixabay
Julie M. Green is a Toronto-based writer who
regularly contributes to The Huffington Post,
The Globe and Mail, and Today’s Parent. She
blogs about having a young autistic son at Other
Side of the Coin. Follow her @juliemgreen or
juliemgreen.ca.
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