SEND THE DRAFT IEP HOME!!!! Send it home a week BEFORE the scheduled IEP.
I know I know some of you may be thinking what a week how the hell am I supposed to do that
while others are thinking uh duhhh of course do that. For me this has just been engrained in and I thought everyone did it, but I quickly realized that this is definitely not something everyone does in the public school setting. For me and my team it has just always been best practice and has worked out extremely well but I do know this is easier said than done. However, I think it is soooo important to do this and here’s why:1. It forces you to gather all your needed data and update the IEP in a timely manner.
2. It creates a uniform deadline for all service providers and teachers to get their data and information to you for the IEP.
3. It helps keep things organized and helps reduce stress trying to finish it all just prior or during the IEP meeting.
4. It gives parents plenty of time to review the IEP and the changes.
5. It gives parents time to seek advice or input from outside resources.
6. It allows parents a week to bring up questions or concerns to you prior to the meeting that they may want to discuss (this helps with not being caught off guard during a meeting or at the very least have a better idea of how parents are coming into the meeting).
7. You can highlight changes when sending it home which allows parents to focus on what has changed.
8. It makes for a smoother IEP meeting.
9. It allows parents to respond and have changes made to the draft before the meeting even occurs, saving time in the long run.
10. It’s best practice.