Handling an IEP meeting should not induce high anxiety, demand pharmaceutical support or have professionals and parents meltdown into confusion, frustration, and anger. Unfortunately, both parents and advocates frequently have an error in approach which helps no one involved in the process, least of all the child.There are a number of strategic key steps and a complex interdisciplinary IEP development process required and rarely taught in developing positive, independent, functional, competency-based outcomes for a student, that are commensurate with their circumstances potential.

An Advocate can help :

• promote a professional environment where you can initiate and participate actively,

• speak to the child’s key issues,

• generate realistic options,

• ask for appropriate research-based interventions,

• receive accurate measurable data related to accurately documented educational needs,

• determine the strength of your requests, and

• what additional information is needed PRIOR to the IEP meeting.

Advocates can help build  a collaborative parent, teacher and school district partnership.It is the quality of the collaboration along with the supporting data that determine perceptions and outcomes to a great extent.