Back to School Tips for Parents of Students with IEPs

Students with disabilities are entitled to receive academic and/or emotional support resources in the academic setting. At times teachers and school staff can be overwhelmed with caseloads and struggle with meeting the needs of all students. As a parent of a student with an IEP it is important that you are fully aware of the services entitled to your student and monitor services delivery. Here are a few tips you can use to ensure your student has a successful school year.

• Attend all meetings, formal and informal that pertain to your student.

• Ask for a one-on-one meeting with your student's case manager to ask detailed questions and get a full understanding of your child's disability and the resources being provided to them.

• Have an in-depth understanding of the laws in your students school district as it pertains to students with disabilities.

• Request detailed information on the interventions being provided in the classrooms.

• Reinforce practices and strategies that are used at school in your own home.

• If your student receives behavior emotional support services, you have the option to request progress/session notes and a log of service hours.

• Seek the advice of your student when advocating for their needs. Student buy-in is very important to effective service delivery.

• Progression does not occur overnight, have patience and be understanding.