How to Prepare Yourself and Your Child for an IEP or 504 Plan Meeting

The first 504 or IEP meeting you attend can be a daunting task but there are many resources and tips available to help you help your child to succeed. "ADDitude" is an online magazine that provides excellent resources for parents whos children have ADD and ADHD. There are two articles posed on their site that aid parents in preparing for an IEP or 504 plan meeting.
The first article is written by Karen Sunderhaft and lists 12 tips that will help you prepare for and succeed at the IEP meeting. I will not go though all 12 steps but the one that I feel is the most important is that you need to put your child first (Sunderhaft, 2017).  If you feel your child needs something in the classroom that the teachers are not willing to give, push for it and have reasons that support your belief of why specific accommodations would be helpful. The parent knows the child best and they have more of an understanding of what will work for the students. Parents, no not take this as an excuse for you to over speak the student. The student knows how the education system in the school is working for them. They know if certain accommodations will work or not. While parents are often correct about the needs of their child, the child's voice should still be heard in the IEP and 504 meetings. If you are interested in student led IEP meetings, look at my previous post regarding the issue.
The second article on "ADDitude's" site is more based around specific stuff to consider before going into an IEP or 504 meeting. Similar to the previous article, this article is very student based. The first thing the author suggests is to prepare a list of positive things about the student. this includes their interests, hobbies, what they are good at, and their career goals (Bailey, 2017). Coming into the meeting and starting with positive things about the student can change the entire atmosphere of the meeting. The students interests may also change the specific accommodations and adaptations a student may get. For example, if a student wants to go into engineering their science teacher may work in more engineering and technology based lessons. Once you have identified your students hobbies (with the help of your student) start identifying learning challenges and potential problems in the classroom. Also, come up with goals with your students that are attenable for them with accommodations (Bailey, 2017).
These articles are just a stepping stone to help you prepare for an IEP or 504 plan meeting. Plan and conduct research of your own to help you find what works the best. Remember to prioritize your child's needs and focus on what they can do rather than can not do.




Resources:


Bailey, E. (2017, September 06). IEP Step 7: Prepare for Your IEP or 504 Meeting. Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.additudemag.com/iep-prepare-504-plan-meeting-adhd-education-accommodations/


Sunderhaft, K. (2017, September 15). 12 Tips for a Successful IEP Meeting. Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.additudemag.com/12-tips-successful-iep-meeting/

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