THE ABCs OF IEPs

By Sheila Wolfe - IEP Services

It is a new school year! YAY? How about changing some bad habits from the past and getting organized this year. Are you sick and tired of wasting your precious time trying to find specific forms, information, dates, doctor records, not to mention IEPs, evaluations…? The list is endless. This year is going to be different! This year you are going to have everything at your fingertips. Just think, it might save you enough time to take a shower every day.

Keeping track of the records and documents generated while caring for a child with special needs is overwhelming. At least once a year, there is a Case Conference and a new IEP. There are at least four progress reports that go along with that IEP, and sometimes countless emails between the parents and the school. Throw in a dose of private therapy, doctor visits, medication changes, evaluations, and, if you are lucky, records regarding your child’s Medicaid Waiver, and you have a huge mess on your hands.

It is critical that parents maintain detailed, organized records for their child with special needs. As I have mentioned in previous articles, if there is ever a dispute between parents and the school, these records are the “proof” needed when pursuing your administrative remedies. Since a due process filing can only include issues that have occurred within the last two years, I recommend keeping extremely detailed records for a two-year period. Once the records are over two years old, you may decide to delete or discard them. However, I advise keeping ALL evaluations regardless of the date they were completed.

Step one: get some three-ring binders and a three-hole punch. I find it easiest to keep records in a tabbed binder in chronological order. How you organize your binders is your choice, but I have some suggestions.

Step two: tab your binders. Each school year should be in a separate binder. I suggest including a dated tab for 1) each IEP (including a copy of the dated meeting notice); 2) progress reports (including data to support the progress); 3) evaluations (including the signed consent form and written records of any request for evaluation); 4) emails (in chronological order with the subject highlighted); 5) doctor/ medication records; 6) therapy records; 7) behavioral records (this might include copies of Behavior Intervention Plans from the school or an ABA therapist, discipline referrals from the school, suspension records, etc.); 8) any additional records that pertain to your child’s disability or needs.

Step three: create reminders in your smartphone or calendar. It is important to file important documents and records when you receive them, but it is also important to make sure you are getting the documentation promised in the IEP. Put a reminder in your phone of the “report card” dates for your school system. A child with special needs is to receive a progress report at least as frequently as the typical students do. Check your IEP for the frequency of progress reports and make sure you receive meaningful progress reports when due. If the school has promised to do progress monitoring assessments every month for reading comprehension, for example, set up a reminder in your phone to ask for the results if the school has not provided a copy. Comb through the IEP for all details regarding deadlines or dates for services, reports, evaluations, etc. Each of these should be on your calendar with a reminder set up. If you don’t receive the required documentation from the school when due, send an email requesting the missing information. Please remember to always communicate in writing with your school so you have a record of the date and content of any request.

Step four: evaluate the information received. The principal reason parents need to stay organized and diligent about the implementation of the IEP is to assure their child with special needs is making meaningful progress on a timely basis. Do not wait until April of next year to start complaining to the school that your child is not progressing in reading, math, language, or any other area of need. Create your own graphs detailing the results of all progress monitoring assessments. If you don’t see an upward trend in the data after 3-4 assessments, write an email to your teacher of record noting your concerns. If there is still no upward trend by the first progress report, ask to convene the Case Conference Committee to look at options for improving the rate of progress for your child.

Keeping your student’s educational records organized and easy to access will save you time and aggravation throughout the school year while improving your ability to monitor and hold the school accountable for meaningful progress. That is everyone’s goal for a great school year!

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Sheila A. Wolfe - Special Education Consultant