The H&V IEP Meeting
Planner Unveiled

Hands & Voices chapters across the U.S. and Canada provide daily assistance and support to families as they go through the process to ensure that their child who is deaf/hard of hearing has an appropriate educational plan.  The ability for families to participate in a meaningful way with members of an educational team often determines the level of services that a particular student will be given.  The “Hands & Voices IEP Meeting Planner” is a tool that was developed by Lisa Kovacs, (H&V HQ and H&V IN) to help families prepare and participate effectively at a child’s IEP/Case Conference.  It is an adaptation from the original “IEP Meeting Planner” developed by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. NCLD gave permission for this adaptation. 

The planner is organized into three sections, and is useful for organizing your thoughts and paperwork in preparation for your equal participation at the IEP as a family member.

What to do before, during, and after your child’s IEP/Case Conference is included.

Detailed suggestions for preparing before the meeting include:  Reviewing your child’s records and information sent from the school; organizing the information into a binder; networking with others; reviewing procedural safeguards; learning the IEP form; requesting any draft IEP forms; developing your own parent report.

Detailed suggestions for participating during the meeting include: Arriving early, requesting introductions; requesting to review your parent report; working as part of the IEP/Case Conference Team to develop all required components of the IEP; finalizing the IEP; containing emotions.

Detailed suggestions for items to do after the meeting include: Reviewing the IEP and the meeting purpose with your child; monitoring progress of IEP implementation; communicating regularly with your child’s IEP/Case Conference team.

This excellent resource can be downloaded at handsandvoices.org/IEPmeetingplanner/.