IEP Parent Support

At Understanding Special Education, we are striving to offer you IEP parent support, clear information regarding special education law, help through the IEP process and an interactive web site where you can seek answers and guidance to your specific needs.

As a parent of a special needs child, it is important that you have support systems in place that can help you with challenges we all ultimately face.

Most school districts offer a special education Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The purpose of this committee is to advise the district of matters related to students with exceptional needs and to educate the community on strategies and programs that assist these students. CAC’s meetings and events provide the opportunity for interaction, communication and IEP parent support. CAC meetings are open to everyone in the community. Check your district’s web site for this information.

If your child has a serious disability, it is important to remember that throughout your child’s life, you may experience feelings that parallel the grief process. Attending school functions and IEP meetings can cause these feelings to resurface. It is important to acknowledge these feelings and remind yourself that they are common and normal.

The stages of grief are:

Denial, Anxiety, Guilt, Depression, Anger,
Appreciation and Hope

Sometimes a parent gets “stuck” in a particular stage and does not progress to the hopeful stage. If this is happening to you, you might need to seek outside support to help you move through this process. Having a child with a disability can also be difficult on a marriage or relationship. The divorce statistic for couples with a child with a disability is significantly higher than average.

If your child has an identified handicap or disability there are non-profit organizations available to provide you with information, medical assistance, referrals and counseling. Check our links section to connect to some of the leading non-profit organizations that work with families.

One great way to gain IEP parent support is to expand your knowledge of collaboration techniques. These work great during an IEP meeting and can increase your success rate of obtaining the services you are seeking for your child.

Being in conflict only brings more stress to your life and to your child’s education.

However, if all efforts fail, make sure you know and understand your due process rights that are mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).

Also, review the IEP parent support terms and definitions cheat sheet to further your understanding of special education.

REMEMBER...if you disagree with your school's evaluation results, you have the right to request an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE) at no cost to you.

If you are having a problem with your school district or have a concern about your child and you can't seem to find the answer, please feel free to ASK US. We will promptly answer your question with the best guidance, insight or resource we can provide.