BY DORCA CASSEUS
We have been getting into the nitty gritty of Special Education and IEPs. Let’s keep it going! We are going to continue to learn about the evaluation and IEP process by discussing the initial IEP meeting.
Prior to having an initial IEP meeting, a student needs to be referred to the Committee for Special Education and the parent needs to provide consent to get their child evaluated. Last time, we talked about what the actual evaluations might look like.
Once all the evaluations are completed, the evaluators will write a report with all their findings and their recommendations. The evaluator may recommend or may not recommend special education services; however, the final decision is always made at the initial IEP meeting.
The IEP team will convene for the meeting. The IEP team usually includes:
· The parent
· The special education teacher
· The general education teacher
· A school or district representative
· The student (as appropriate)
· Other experts (to interpret the evaluation results or experts with knowledge of your child)
· A translator (if needed)
The CSE will schedule the initial IEP meeting to review all the evaluations and make a recommendation. Parents can expect to get a letter in the mail with the date of the initial IEP meeting. The school will also likely inform you of the date. This meeting is very important and parents should prioritize attending this meeting. The district representative from the CSE wants to hear from parents. Parents are an integral part of the IEP team, so be sure to make your voice heard. Be sure to come to the meeting prepared with all medical documentation you may have.
During the meeting, the team will review the evaluation results and your child’s present level of performance in school. They will also ask you, as the parent, what you are noticing at home. With all this information the team will make the recommendations. Remember, an evaluation is not a guarantee of special education services. The team may decide your child does qualify for special education services.
The IEP team will only recommend special education services for your child if your child is found to have one of the 13 categories (or classification) of special education. In the next article, we will discuss the 13 classifications.