Now that the school year is in full gear, it’s the perfect time to check in on our kiddos, and their IEPs. We know how much effort it takes to get your child’s IEP just right, but if it’s not being followed or doesn’t reflect their current needs, it’s not doing its job. The fall IEP check-in, which happens four to six weeks after school begins, is where we review and take stock of key parts of our children’s IEPs to see if they are actually getting everything that’s been written into it, or if any updates or adjustments are necessary.
Here are a few reasons you might want a “check-in” this fall:
- To make the kinds of adjustments that inevitably come with a change in schools
- To ensure your child’s teachers and school are providing everything they agreed to
- To ensure current IEP goals are based on the Common Core state standards
- To request new assessments
- To ensure your child is included with peers during their school day
- To solidify an emergency/health plan for your child
This may sound like a lot of things to check in on and put in place at the beginning of the school year, but it’s less overwhelming when you have Undivided walking you through it all.
Head over to our article The Fall Check-In: Following Up with an IEP at the Beginning of the New School Year for in-depth how-to’s to help you stay on top of your kid’s support needs so they can make meaningful progress on their academic and social goals. This can help determine whether you might need to call a fall check-in meeting with your IEP team!
Need additional tips and information on reviewing IEPs? Check out How to Make Sure Your IEP Is Being Followed (and What to Do If It Isn’t), which breaks down how to make sure your child’s teachers and school are providing everything they agreed to, and 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Checking in with Your IEP Team, where Education Advocate Dr. Sarah Pelangka, BCBA-D, gives us her expert tips for checking in with our IEP teams.
Event recap→Back to School One-Month IEP Check-in: The start of a new school year is often accompanied by bumps and false starts as new teachers, providers, and other school staff learn what’s in our children’s IEPs — and sometimes, the only way they learn is by parents reminding them! On September 12, we sat down with Undivided Education Advocate Lisa Carey who gave us her tips for checking in with our IEP teams and addressing some common concerns, including communication logs, aides, bullying, medication, and more! If you missed the virtual live event, or you’re ready for another watch to take notes, find the full recording and read the highlights in our article Troubleshoot These 9 Common IEP Concerns.
Only have 90 seconds to figure out if your IEP is being implemented correctly? Check out our Undivided Explainer: Preparing for Your One Month IEP Check-In: Essential Tips & Strategies! on YouTube to learn about our top four tips!
RSVP for our next Facebook Live event→High School IEPs and the Transition to Adulthood
How can our child’s IEP help them transition from high school to work opportunities, post-secondary education, and whatever else the future holds? Join us for a live chat Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. PDT with Undivided Education Advocate Lisa Carey, where we’ll cover major IEP milestones and steps (such as vision statements, Individualized Transition Plans, college programs, etc.) to take from age 14 to 21 so that you can feel confident you’re preparing your teen for adulthood. It’s never too early to plan ahead, so whether your child is 7 or 17, join us! This event is open to all, with a bonus Q&A for Undivided members directly after! Get a link to the event when you RSVP here→
Plus: Bonus live Q&A after the event for Undivided members! Join Undivided now to get access!
As one parent told Undivided, “I love that I can just go into my binder and find what I need quickly and easily. I have a ton of misc folders and documents on my laptop and they never seem to be organized in ways that make sense, and the binder does it for me… I love that I can refer friends that aren’t ready or able to get a higher level membership so that they can access the binder and have a little less stress and chaos for lower cost per month.”
- Why check in with your IEP team at this time of year? Hear about the importance of a one-month check-in from Dr. Sarah Pelangka on our YouTube channel→
- Make sure your child’s IEP is being followed in 4 simple steps. Check out this post on Instagram→
- Now that school is back in full swing, what additional supports are you seeing a need for? One parent mentioned visual aids for their kiddo’s daily schedule! Join the discussion in our private Facebook group for parents→
- We’re here to make navigating IEPs and the school system easier for parents so that more kids can get the supports they need to thrive. Help us share our resources with more parents on LinkedIn→
Or maybe you notice the team is pushing for goals that are too focused on “functional” skills instead of academic or developmental goals? 
