All teachers attend IEP meetings throughout their careers. Sometimes, teachers see this as a time to emphasize a student’s weaknesses in order to get as much help for that student as possible. While an overall assessment of how a child is performing is necessary, there is something to be said about how information is delivered to parents, who are most often very nervous and intimidated by these meetings.

What is an IEP?

IEP stands for Individualized Educational Program and is a legally binding document that contains information about a child’s disability, needs, challenges, and measurable goals. Although parents can request an IEP meeting at any time, the plan is revisited once a year to see if goals are met and/or need to be modified and revised.

An IEP has many different parts that describe the supplementary aids and services that will be provided to the child as well as classroom accommodations. It is written by the resource teacher and the IEP team which consists of the classroom teacher, administrator, parents, and other school professionals. 

Who is eligible for an IEP?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 14.4% of students aged 3 to 21 years old during 2019-2020 received special education services under the direction of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Students need to have one or more eligible disabilities or health impairments such as autism, speech delays, emotional disturbances, etc. that interfere with school performance.

Oftentimes parents have already been to the pediatrician, and their child already has a disability diagnosis. At other times, teachers may pick up on a learning disability or other health impairment like ADHD that parents should know about. Face-to-face interactions are best when discussing these difficult issues. Here are some tips for positive IEP meetings where parents leave feeling relieved, not disappointed.

Tips for positive IEP meetings for classroom teachers where parents leave feeling relieved, not disappointed:

  • Give parents plenty of notice about what time the meeting will be taking place.
  • Early communication is key. Parents appreciate it when teachers inform them of their child’s academic and behavioral performance prior to the meeting.
  • Build a trusting relationship with families that includes positive emails and phone calls.
  • During the IEP Meeting, make sure that the parents know exactly how their child is contributing positively to the classroom.
  • Talk about the child’s hobbies and academic and social strengths. Show that you have a relationship with the child as others at the meeting may not.
  • Practice empathetic listening without talking over the parent. They need us to hear them.
  • Rather than emphasize negative personality traits or academic failure, show how accommodations could help improve academic and behavioral success. 
  • Discuss the student’s positive growth while progress monitoring. 

Sometimes parents express frustration about their child’s educational situation. They want the best for their child but certainly don’t want to feel as though their child is a burden for educators. This is why IEP meeting members should focus on positivity and not only on the child’s classroom failures.

I have been to many IEP conferences in which the parent ends up in tears even though it is a positive meeting. Parents are overly sensitive to their child’s disabilities. Teachers that are aware of this and offer empathetic listening are a source of strength and hope for the parent, and this creates a recipe for success for all involved.

IEP Meetings: Be the Teacher Who Encourages Parents