IEP teams are made up of individuals who bring different perspectives and expertise to the table. Pooling their knowledge, team members set out to craft an individualized response to a specific child’s needs, taking into account that same child’s strengths and talents. There’s a lot of information shared at IEP meetings, and a lot of discussion. The end product is the child’s individualized education program.
First, we’ll start with an overview of key points about IEP meetings. Then, we’ll take a longer look at specific aspects of these meetings that will help you be an active partner in this critical activity.
Many people come together to develop a child’s IEP. This group is called the IEP team and includes most of the same types of individuals who were involved in the child’s initial evaluation. Team members will include:
the child’s parents;
at least one regular education teacher, if the child is (or may be) participating in the regular education environment;
at least one of the child’s special education teachers or special education providers;
a representative of the public agency (school system) who (a) is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education, (b) knows about the general curriculum; and © knows about the resources the school system has available;
an individual who can interpret the evaluation results and talk about what instruction may be necessary for the child;
the child, when appropriate;
representatives from any other agencies that may be responsible for paying for or providing transition services (if the child is 16 years or, if appropriate, younger); and