Wondering whether to pursue an IEP?

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• Why an IEP now?

  If your child is struggling in school and you’re wondering if these struggles are serious enough to need an IEP, ask yourself a few questions:

  • Why an IEP now?

  • What got you thinking about this?

  • Was it something a teacher said or that your child brought up?

  • Are your concerns new or have you been worried for a while?

  Thinking about what prompted your concerns can help you talk about them with your child’s school or health care provider.

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• How is your child struggling?

  How are your child’s struggles getting in the way at school?

  • Is your child having trouble with a certain subject like reading or math?

  • Is your child struggling socially or with things like concentrating in class?

  • Try to write down examples, even if you don’t know the cause.

  What are you observing at home?

  • Does homework take hours and hours and often end in tears?

  • How often is your child worried about school?

  • How intense are these worries?

  • Does your child want to stay home because school is too hard?

  These are the kinds of questions that can help you get ready to talk to the school about giving your child more support.

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• Should you wait to get an IEP?

  Being proactive can help kids in many different ways: academically, socially, emotionally.

  So if you’re wondering if your child needs an IEP now or if you can wait, consider doing three key things:

  • Ask the school what interventions they’ve tried with your child and for how long.

  • Find an ally at school, whether it’s a teacher or an aide or another staff member. Having a relationship with someone you trust will help you ask questions.

  • Think about time of year. You have the right to request an evaluation at any time, but it’s better to avoid asking during the first few weeks of the school year unless you had concerns the previous year.

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