For Parents
A plain-language planning page to help you prepare for your child's meeting.
A place to organize what you already know, before you walk in.
You are part of the team
You know your child better than any test score or form can show. This page is here to help you organize what you already know before a school meeting, so your voice is part of the decision from the start. There is no data or research cited on this page. It is simply space for you to think and plan.
Before the meeting
A few things worth jotting down first.
- What I want the team to know about my child:
- What has helped at home:
- What I am noticing lately:
- Questions I have going in:
- Who is coming with me to the meeting:
A few plain-language basics
Open each one to read it.
Child Find just means the school has a duty to look into a possible disability once one is suspected.
Child Find just means the school has a duty to look into a possible disability once one is suspected. You do not have to wait, and you do not need to have all the answers before asking for help.
An IEP or student support meeting is a conversation, not a test you can fail.
An IEP or student support meeting is a conversation, not a test you can fail. You are a full member of the team, not a guest.
The goal is always the right amount of support, not the most support or the least.
The goal is always the right amount of support, not the most support or the least. The team decides that together by looking at real, documented need.
Questions you can bring with you
- What data or examples show this is, or is not, working?
- What would we expect to see if this support were working?
- What is the smallest change that would let my child stay with their classmates and still get what they need?
- What happens next, and when will we check back in?
Leaving the meeting
- One thing I learned:
- One thing I still want answered:
- What we agreed to do next, and by when:
You are allowed to ask questions, ask for time to think, or ask for something to be explained again. Bringing this page with you is enough preparation.