Insights Into How Our Legal System Works

Be An Advocate: 4 Steps To Ensure That Your Child's IEP Is Followed

25 April 2016 by Yolanda Lane

If your child has been approved for special education services at their school, you'll need to familiarize yourself with their IEP. The IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is the contract your school district enters into with you and it contains all the services your child will receive throughout the school year.

Once your child has an IEP, it's important that you become their first line of defense: their educational advocate. By maintaining your position as your child's educational advocate, you'll be able to ensure that they receive all the services they're entitled to. Here are four suggestions that will help you monitor how well your child's IEP is being followed.

Stay Involved

One of the most important things you can do to make sure that your child receives the services they need is to stay involved. Whether it's volunteering in the classroom, or visiting the teacher once a week, maintaining contact with the teacher will allow you to stay on top of how well the IEP is being followed. This is particularly important if your child is participating in a pull-out program. This is where your child spends most of their day in the general education classroom but is pulled out to receive individualized lessons from the special education teacher.

Know the Team Leader

Every special education has a team leader – a teacher or representative who is in charge of ensuring that IEPs are followed. As soon as you sign your child's IEP, ask the school to provide you with the name of the team leader. Make contact with the team leader as soon as you can. This will allow you to create a working relationship with them. If your child develops problems during the year, or the IEP is not followed properly, you'll be ready to contact the team leader if you've already established a rapport with them.

Request Progress Reports

The best way to monitor your child's education is through regularly scheduled progress reports. These reports will allow you to catch minor problems before they become major stumbling blocks in your child's education. Be sure your child's teachers know that you require progress reports. If possible, have them included in the IEP. This will allow you to enforce the request should they not be sent home in a timely manner.

Speak to an Attorney

An IEP is an educational contract. If your child is not receiving the service's they're entitled to – and you've spoken to the team leader with no success – contact a special education attorney like one from Law Office of Mark W Voigt. Your attorney will be able to secure those services and make sure that the contract is enforced.

Now that your child has an IEP, you need to make sure that it's followed by the school. Use the information provided above to make sure your child receives the services they're entitled to. 

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