- 1). Obtain a copy of the school district IEP form and behavior intervention plan form (if your child has a behavior intervention plan). You will want to review this carefully and familiarize yourself with the different sections. These sections often include: goals and objectives, mastery level, current performance and location of information. If you do not understand something, call the school and ask before the meeting.
- 2). Review your child's IEP updates from the current year. You should be receiving updates of these IEP's as frequently as your child gets a report card. Look back at those updates to see what progress your child has made. Bring these updates with you, as this will show staff that you are attentive to such detail.
- 3). Talk to your child about school and about the goals on her IEP. Also ask your child if she has any concerns she would like discussed during the meeting. Be sure to ask her for positives too. This will help build your child's relationship with her teachers.
- 4). Identify and list any areas of concern you have regarding your child's progress. Also, identify and list things that you think have gone well. It always helps to build the relationship with the school if you can provide positives in conjunction with concerns.
- 5). Review the most recent evaluations done on your child. If you do not have copies, call and request the copies. You may also make an appointment with the school psychologist or diagnostician in advance to review the evaluations.
- 6). Write down the goals that you have for your child in the coming year. These may be academic or behavioral.
- 7). Research the names of special education advocates in your area. Write down those names and numbers. It is good to have this list with you in a meeting, especially if you feel as though your child is not receiving what he is entitled to.
- 8). Call the school a day before the meeting to ask what professionals will be attending the meeting. You should have a list of everyone who will be at the meeting.
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