| Walking into your first IEP is not a pleasant experience. | | | | child as possible, and be inclined to learn as much as |
| The very fact that your child is having difficulty at | | | | possible about the learning difficulty. |
| school is more than enough to make any parent lose | | | | Make sure you attend the meeting. There are plenty |
| sleep. But discovering that your child needs a | | | | of meetings at school that parents skip such as sports, |
| specialized Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is | | | | back to school and other events because of time |
| especially scary. | | | | constraints, work, or conflicting schedules with siblings. |
| Parents again and again have different emotions about | | | | An Individualized Education Program is a one-time, |
| an IEP and depending on the gender, one of two | | | | annual event that you MUST attend. |
| scenarios sometimes arise. | | | | Participate. It is important that the parents get involved |
| The mother often is scared and feels a need to do | | | | in the IEP process, both before and after the meeting. |
| anything imaginable to accommodate her child. The | | | | Stay abreast on the child's progress and follow up |
| father contrarily is angry at the suggestion that there is | | | | after the meeting to insure goals are being met. |
| something not right with his child and that the principal | | | | Be flexible. Even though the child will most probably |
| made an error. | | | | attend the regular classroom, part of the curriculum will |
| There isn't anything wrong with these feelings by either | | | | be modulated. This means that some of the work may |
| parent and not every case unfolds like this. But more | | | | be different from what the other kids will be studying |
| than a few times it does and it can inflict problems | | | | or that a portions of the day will be spent with special |
| between the parents, the school, or both. | | | | teachers or an Occupational Therapist. |
| The key concept to recognize is that the child maybe | | | | As difficult as an IEP can be, some year are better |
| has some kind of learning weaknesses and any help | | | | than others depending on the teachers and |
| that can be provided by the school to safeguard the | | | | administration involved. My own personal experience |
| school progress of the child is essential. | | | | has been that it gets better at the higher grade levels. |
| IEPs are usually difficult for some of the individuals | | | | It could be that we’ve learned more as we |
| involved and for countless reasons. So, how do you | | | | progressed through the system or that our child |
| find a way to have an Easy IEP? | | | | matured. Whatever the case, things to get better if |
| Preparation is necessary. The parents must begin the | | | | you keep at it and learn as much as you can about |
| Individualized Education Plan process open-minded, | | | | the process and specific learning disability. |
| bring as much background information regarding the | | | | |