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A new school year is upon us! This means new kids, new schedules, and new IEP meetings.  Now we all know that IEP meetings are super fun…right, but when we don’t have what we need it can really take the confetti out of the party.  Wondering what to bring to an IEP meeting? Here’s what you should have to keep those good times rolling.

what to bring to an iep meeting

Student file(s)

This sounds silly, but you would be surprised on how many people just bring their report to the meeting.  Yes, it has the most up to date info on it, but it can be limiting.  What would you do if the parent or teacher…or admin (yikes) asks about past scores or performance to compare growth?  You can’t dash back to your room and grab the file.  Also, if they have several files from years of services, bring them.  I have been in meetings when I have had a stack 6 inches high of a single student’s files.  I keep the most recent information on the table and hide the rest down by my feet so it doesn’t take up space.

Visuals

Did you do a fun activity or did your student rock out that practice worksheet?  Keep it and bring it to the meeting.  Many parents don’t get reports on what goes on in speech everyday so they aren’t up to speed on how their child is doing in each session.  Bringing proof that indeed their child is working is always nice. Bonus if you bring a sample from the beginning of the year and then one for the current time to see growth!

Charts and Graphs

This has proved to be super helpful during meetings time and time again.  I keep a laminated bell curve in my organization binder that I take to every meeting, ok that I take to everything, with a little expo marker.  If I am reporting out test results I can quickly mark where the child’s scores fell. Many parents get overloaded when hearing scores from their child’s evaluation and seeing the outcome can make things easier to understand.  I also use data rubrics that have a graph on them to collect general data on their speech goals.  This again helps parents see progress and make things easier to understand, especially if there has been a regression. I can add notes on these rubrics so I can note if the child was not feeling well or if there was an issue in the class before coming to speech that may have impacted their performance.

Planner

I use an Erin Condren planner to keep track of my meetings and appointments in and out of school.  I always carry this and my binder with me.  Typically when there are IEP meetings people get to chatting about other issues or meetings      ( once your IEP is done ). This often leads to talking about dates or rescheduling.  Having a schedule on hand is very important to look up dates or confirm appointments without keeping people waiting.

Post-its

I’m a post-it kinda gal. There is just something about those brightly colored squares that puts a smile on my face and make the Type A part of my brain happy.  I always have post-its in my binder too so I can write little reminders to myself and be discreet.

Snacks

Yup, snacks. You can be the most popular person at the table if you bring in a little basket of snacks.  Just grab a big bag or two of candy at Halloween and your set.  If you aren’t sure you want to share your treats, then bring something small and quiet. I usually do this if I have a marathon of staffings in a day and the chance to use the bathroom, let alone eat, is iffy.  Just bring something quiet and clean.  I like fruit snacks or soft snack bars to cut down on crunching noises.

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Meet Maureen

Hey there! I’m Maureen Wilson, a school-base SLP who is data driven and caffeine powered. My passion is supporting other pediatric SLPs by teaching them how to harness the power of literacy and data to help their students achieve their goals…without sacrificing time they don’t have.

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