Preparing for the
The
SPECIAL
NEEDS
Child
Meeting
This special pull-out section
is filled with local resources
and businesses that serve
children and families
with Special Needs.
It appears annually in our
April issue and is a great
opportunity to educate
WNY Family’s readers
about your services
throughout the year.
ABOUT OUR READERS:
91% are Female
95% are 25-54 Years Old
54% Have Children Under Age 5
77% Have Children 5-12 Years Old
33% Have Children 13-18 Years Old
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important services of your business to
this targeted audience, contact the
Advertising Department at
716-836-3486 ext. 104.
46 WNY Family January 2019
O
ne
of Empower
t h e
m o s t
stressful experienc-
es many parents or
guardians of children
coping with special
needs face, is going to
a meeting about their
child’s Individualized
Education Plan (IEP).
This plan is very important because it
outlines goals for the child’s education
and treatment, and it guides how services
will be provided. An IEP is created by a
team and reviewed at a minimum annu-
ally at an IEP meeting.
Ability
Inspire Advocate
Special
Needs
Potential Thri
Growth Strategies
“These meetings are very important
because the IEP guides how the child
will be educated and outlines goals for
the child, interventions, and any accom-
modations and services that will be pro-
vided,” said Dodd White, president and
CEO of the Episcopal Center for Chil-
dren (ECC), a nonprofit organization
providing therapeutic and special educa-
tion services to children ages 5-14 in the
greater Washington, DC area.
“It’s important to review IEP meet-
ing documents in advance before the
meeting,” said White. “An IEP meeting
brings together the entire IEP team as-
sisting your child – educators, treatment
providers, parents, the Local Education
Agency (LEA) representative and oth-
ers. The parent(s)/
guardian(s) is an
important part of
that team. You are
an advocate for your
child,” said White.
He offers the fol-
lowing tips to help
parents or guardians
preparing for an IEP
meeting:
Tip #1 – Confirm meeting
attendance. At least 10 days before an
IEP meeting, you should receive a letter
of invitation. As soon as possible, RSVP
for the meeting in writing. Inform the
school if you will attend the meeting in
person or by phone. If you are not avail-
able to attend the meeting at all, propose
alternative dates and times, even loca-
tions.
Tip #2 – Review draft docu-
ments before the meeting. At least 5
business days before the meeting, you
should receive drafts of the documents
(e.g., IEP, Behavior Intervention Plan,
evaluations) to be discussed during the
IEP meeting. Take time to review these
documents before the meeting.
Tip #3 – Carefully review
draft documents and write down your
questions and notes. Make sure you
understand your child’s diagnosis. Ask
for clarification of education or treat-
ment jargon if needed. Goals and objec-