Who to Invite to an IEP Meeting?
Q: My child has been referred to the school team for an evaluation to determine if he is eligible for Special Education services. They have already examined all his school records and we have a meeting to discuss what comes next. I would like to invite his doctor and his therapist to the meeting. What do you think?
A: I think that is a great idea. If his doctor and therapist are available and willing to attend, that would certainly provide the team with relevant up-to-date information. A letter outlining their input would certainly be helpful, if they are not available. Remember, the evaluation is supposed to be sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the student’s special education and related service needs. Your child should be assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability. Those areas might include health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communication, and motor abilities. The team must carefully consider information from all sources. After the evaluation is completed, make sure you receive a copy of the Evaluation Report and keep it for your records.