Part 2: Special Education & IEPs

Module 7: Information & Eligibility for Special Education

Objectives

  • Dive into what an IEP is, who is eligible and who is part of an IEP team.
  • Learn about Academic Achievement and Functional Performance.

Video & Transcript

Introduction

Parents are a very important member of the education team. We want all parents to actively participate in building a plan for your child to receive the support they need to be successful in their learning environment. It is our hope that these videos will help you prepare for how you can have a strong voice in your child’s education. In this video, there is specific information regarding Individual Education Plans, or IEPs, to help you understand the process. We will discuss the notice of meeting dates and what/who to bring to the meeting, discussion around your child’s diagnosed disability, and qualifications for special education services. You will learn what comes next, like working together with the team to look at your child's academic achievement and school performance. Finally, you will learn how to ask questions and to provide insight into what helpful ideas work at home.

Resources

Please explore at least one of the resources below to better understand your rights and supports available to you in California.

   Read Something

   Listen to Something

   Watch Something

  • Parents' Rights - A brief summary of Procedural Safeguards for students with disabilities receiving special education services
  • California Parent Organizations - List of California agencies providing resources for families of children with disabilities.
  • Center for Parent Information and Resources - (CPIR) - Twice a month, the CPIR shares news and resources with the Parent Center network and others via our e-newsletter the Buzz from the Hub. Sign up on this site.
  • Department of Developmental Services - Take a look at a wide variety of services available to those with developmental disabilities at each stage of their lives.
  • CAPTAIN - CAPTAIN is a multiagency network developed to support the understanding and use of evidence based practices for individuals on the autism spectrum.
  • Listen to this podcast, What Parents Need to Know about the IEP Process. This podcast will review what parents actually need to know before they go into an IEP meeting, the criteria for designing an effective and supportive IEP, and the intention behind the goals written into any IEP, and how to create goals that lead to hoped-for outcomes.

        

Discussion Prompts

  1. What types of information should parents be prepared to share at an IEP meeting?
  2. What information can parents expect to learn about their child at an IEP meeting?
  3. Why is it important that parents are a part of the IEP team?

Self-Assessment