What is the role of parents in the IEP process?
Parents are equal members of the IEP team and assist in identifying and stating the child’s needs clearly on the IEP and selecting appropriate services and placement. They know their child very well and can talk about their child’s strengths and needs as well as their ideas for enhancing their child’s education. They can share insights about how their child learns, the child’s interests, and other things that only a parent would know. They can listen to the ideas of others about what their child needs to work on at school and share their suggestions. They can also report on whether the skills the child is learning at school are being used at home. Parents may ask that the IEP meeting be postponed until a later date if the team cannot agree. If the child’s placement is decided by a different group than the IEP team, the parents must be part of that group as well. If the parents have a limited proficiency in English or are deaf, they may need an interpreter in order to understand and be
