Meeting prep
Questions to Ask at Every IEP Meeting
Ten questions about goals, services, progress monitoring and your rights. Pick the ones that matter to you and bring the list along.
Free resource library
Free special education resources for parents and caregivers
These special education resources explain IEPs, 504 plans and your rights in plain language. Every guide is free to read here. Sign up once with your email and you can download all 18 printables to bring to meetings.
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Getting ready for a meeting?
Pick one of these three checklists. Print it, bring it to the meeting and work through it with the team. That's it.
Meeting prep
IEP Meeting Red Flags Checklist
Warning signs to watch for in the meeting and in the IEP itself, so you know when to slow down and ask.
Meeting prep
Questions to Ask at an Eligibility Meeting
Ten questions to ask before a decision is made about your child's eligibility for special education under IDEA.
Guides
Read by topic
IEP meetings
Getting ready, knowing what to ask, and checking the plan.
IEP and 504 basics
What the plans are and what goes into them.
- IEP vs. 504 plan Which law applies, who qualifies and what each plan includes. PDF
- Accommodations vs. modifications How they differ and how each affects grades. PDF
- Present levels (PLAAFP) The section the rest of the IEP is built on. PDF
- Least restrictive environment Placement options and what drives the decision. PDF
- What is FAPE? Free appropriate public education, in plain language. PDF
- Extended school year (ESY) Summer services: who qualifies and how to ask. PDF
- Acronyms and terms A glossary for meetings and documents. PDF
Your rights
What the school has to do, and what you can do when you disagree.
Evaluation and eligibility
From the first evaluation request to the eligibility decision.
- When the school wants to evaluate What happens and what you consent to. PDF
- How eligibility is decided The test the team works through at the meeting. PDF
- The 13 disability categories The categories IDEA uses to decide eligibility. PDF
- The eligibility meeting What to expect when the team meets. PDF
- If your child didn’t qualify Your options after a "not eligible" decision. PDF
- School vs. medical services Why the school and the clinic recommend different things. PDF
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Talk it through on a free 15-minute call
Tell me what's going on with your child's IEP or 504 plan. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help and what a sensible next step looks like.