Pros & Cons of Parent Involvement in IEP

According to the U.S. Department of Education (ED), an IEP is an individualized education program written for a student who has been evaluated and assessed with a disability, qualifying for special educational help in school. The ED also notes the most effective IEP programs are written in conjunction with the parents, teachers, school staff and, when appropriate, the student himself. To utilize parents in the most effective way, it's helpful to consider the possible pros and cons of parental involvement in the IEP.

  1. Pro: Recognizing Changes Quickly

    • Having the parents involved in the IEP process can give administrators and teachers early indicators that changes need to be made to the IEP. When parents understand all components of the IEP, they can monitor their child's individual progress more closely than a teacher who is responsible for many students. Because of their individual focus on their child, parents may be the first to recognize a need that isn't being met or a sign of progress that could be exploited for maximum results.

    Con: Misperception of Child's Progress

    • A parent's intuition about her child should never be discounted. However, without formal training in special education instruction, a thorough understand of her own child's IEP as it is created and periodically adjusted, or even training in educational testing, a parent may not be able to assess whether or not her child is truly progressing. Parents may wrongly assume the child is progressing because he is participating in the program correctly. In other cases, they may not see the progress they think they should see and assume none is being made when the opposite is true. They can only be an asset if they have the training.

    Con: Filtering Emotional Prejudice

    • While parents are typically the experts on their own children, they do lack the professional training and experience of teachers, therapists and administrators in meeting disability needs. When a parent is too emotionally invested in his child to clearly see the need for treatment or specific types of treatment, he can create problematic roadblocks. Administrators and counselors can help him get perspective on the situation and find a supporting role in the process. It is a delicate balance between professionals' and parents' voices that produces the best IEP results.

    Pro: Ability to Lobby for Proper Testing

    • As LD Online indicates, evaluation standards can vary by state or school district. Some states may not require districts to perform scientifically based testing to measure progress but simply rely on subjective teacher observations to judge how the student is doing. If teacher observation is the only method your district uses, parents can be instrumental in helping to lobby for the more reliable scientific-based testing. If your school only uses teacher observation testing, request more tangible scientific testing or measurable methodology be used to evaluate your child's progress.

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