IEP Meeting Prep
Walk in prepared. Check what to bring, pick the questions you want to ask, jot your priorities, then print it and take it with you.
IEP Meeting Prep
What to bring
Questions to ask
My priorities
Know your rights
- You are an equal member of the IEP team.
- The meeting is scheduled at a time and place you agree on. If you can’t attend, you can ask to reschedule.
- You can request an IEP meeting at any time.
- You can bring anyone you like — a partner, friend, or advocate (let the team know in advance).
- You’re entitled to “prior written notice” before the school proposes or refuses changes to your child’s evaluation, placement, or services.
- If you disagree with the school’s evaluation, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).
- You don’t have to agree on the spot — you can take time to review the IEP before you consent.
- You’ll receive a copy of your procedural safeguards, which list your full rights.
Parent rights summarized from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, Part B). Your school’s procedural safeguards document lists your full rights.
This prep sheet is a starting point, not legal advice. Rules can vary by state — check your procedural safeguards or a local parent center for specifics.
The IEP process is measured in months. Practice starts tonight.
Even when everything goes right, that clock is the school’s — federal rules give the evaluation alone up to 60 days, and that’s after you consent. Your child’s reading doesn’t have to wait on any of it. Ten winnable minutes a night — decodable passages about their favorite things, at their exact level — starts closing the gap while the paperwork catches up.
See how it works →