your child’s strengths and
talents at the forefront.
Some parents strategically
plant a photo of their kid
on the table during the
IEP meeting. If that feels a
little too staged, then by all
means keep calling your
child by name and drop
in the occasional personal
anecdote so that everyone
remembers who they are
there to discuss: a highly
valued, one-of-a-kind person.
Bring in the
Reinforcements
If you are likely to feel
overwhelmed, or even
bullied, at any point during the IEP meeting, bring
along an ally in the guise
of a therapist, neighbor,
friend, relative or spouse—
someone who knows and
has a vested interest in
your child. Just be sure to
clear it with whoever is officiating the consult beforehand. Some people recommend recording meetings.
By all means bring along a
pen and paper, but I personally feel that using an
audio recorder may put
others on the defensive and
create an antagonistic atmosphere.
Come armed with highlighted copies of the previous year’s IEP, any reports
or assessments to which
you may wish to refer and
your legal rights (just in
case). Take scrupulous
notes of who said what
during the meeting, and
“BE REALISTIC ABOUT
THE PROGRESS THAT
IS ACHIEVABLE WITHIN
A GIVEN YEAR.”
Photo: George Hodan
18 Zoom Autism Through Many Lenses