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When I speak with parents about a 504 or IEP, I often get a lot of questions about what is going to happen next or what are all of the possible outcomes (of the meeting).&nbsp; Uncertainty about your child's education and the support they (should or could) receive can be incredibly stressful.&nbsp; And, going to these school meetings can be particularly stressful if there is mistrust, or a history of bad feelings.&nbsp; This idea of not knowing what to expect I believe is a big part of the stress, even for families who have good relationships with the school.&nbsp;The more you know about the IEP and 504 process before the meeting, the more you will know what to expect, and that stress of unexpected outcomes is minimized.&nbsp; While learning about these processes can feel overwhelming, putting in this time before your meetings will help you feel more confident and ready to talk through your child's needs in real time.&nbsp; When I work with families, my goal is to turn parents into more effective and confident advocates for their children. I will give you information about both what to expect and the law, and point out of the IEP or 504 that may need a 'check-up.'I cannot tell you these meetings will be easy. What I can tell you is that you will find value in learning about the IEP and/or 504 process, whether you educate yourself through ISBE, or other websites, or through a consultant or advocate.

Why do IEP and 504 Meetings feel so stressful?

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Once you determine that you are going to request an evaluation for Special Education services for your son or daughter,&nbsp; you should submit this request via email or letter. Ideally this is being sent to the school administrator who oversees Special Education.&nbsp; (You can call the school and ask a teacher, counselor or school psychologist who should receive this request.)&nbsp; It is important to put this in writing because Illinois law timelines are specific, and require the school to respond to your request in 14 school days.&nbsp; If you have this in writing, there is no questions about when the request was made, and you know the date by which a reply should come. Because teachers and school administrators manage incredible amounts of information daily, there are often protocols in place of who the request goes to.&nbsp; If you do not receive a response from the school within a few days, this does not mean they are ignoring you. These requests often go through problem solving teams or intervention teams, and while these teams meet regularly, they do not meet daily.&nbsp;The response will either inform you that the school will move forward with a domain meeting to evaluate for Special Education, or, that they will not be completing an evaluation and why.&nbsp; &nbsp;If you are denied an evaluation, it is important to understand why the school is denying the evaluation to determine your next steps.&nbsp;(Reference: Admin Code 23 § 226.110)

Why do I need to put my request for a school Special Education evaluation in writing?

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<h2>Why Intervention Matters</h2>Eligibility for Special Education can sometimes feel like a very long, drawn out process. The reality is for a student to be eligible for services, the team has to rule out a number of reasons that student is struggling. The team also needs to show that they tried various interventions prior to finding a student eligible.&nbsp;Intervention can take many forms. It might involve a reading, writing or math program, tutoring, counseling, or changes to teaching methods.&nbsp; The team implementing the intervention should be monitoring whether the student continues to struggle, or if they are making progress with the extra support.If a student is not making progress, or they are still struggling compared to peers after the intervention period,&nbsp; the team should be looking at other interventions and/or determine whether it is time for a referral to Special Edcuation.&nbsp; This intervention period is critical because some students are able to catch up with intervention, and finding them eligible (for Special Education) would be erroneous.&nbsp;Both educators and parents have a role to play in the intervention process. Teachers and school interventionists should have systems in place to identify and support sturggling students. And parents can and should reach out to the school if they have questions or are concerns about thier child's learning or performance.&nbsp; Whether intervention support is initiated from a school or home referral, this step is critical to ensure we are not identifying a student for Special Education who may truly not have a disability.&nbsp;

The Importance of Intervention before Eligibility

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Once your child has a 504 or IEP, your IEP or 504 Team will meet, at minimum, once a year to review the plan. This is called the Annual Review.&nbsp; This should take place no more than a year after the last Annual Review.&nbsp; So, if your meeting was October 29th last year, your meeting this year needs to be on or before October 29th, or it is out of compliance.&nbsp; This ensures regular meetings reviewing interventions, accommodations and progress without too much time going by.&nbsp;&nbsp;Your child will be re-evaluated for Special Education or a 504 at minimum every three years. This is called the Evaluation Meeting. If your child was found eligible in sixth grade, they will need to have a re-evaluation in their ninth grade year and again in grade twelve. There are reasons to move up evaluations, but it should never be longer than 3 years. If they were found eligible December 5, 2022, the meeting needs to take place on or by December 5, 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Basics: IEP and 504 Timelines

I am frequently asked by parents and guardians how to get help for their sons and daughters in school. "Where do I even start?"While every situation is different, there are a few things I would recommend to all families from the get-go. If you notice your child struggling, first talk to their teacher or counselor about what you are seeing. Ask them if they are seeing the same struggles and if so, ask what can be done to help your child. This is a broad answer, but the first step is always to start the conversation with the school. A partnership with the school is invaluable, and if a line of communication can be started early, so can intervention.The second piece of advice I would give in almost every situation is to start an online or physical folder of your child's scores, important work samples, report cards and any information and communication about your concerns. This includes emails, report cards, RtI data and testing. Schools also keep records, but as you advocate for your child, having more information, over time will help guide you and the team. Start this file as early as possible.&nbsp;

IEP Partners

Quick Tips Blog

Why do IEP and 504 Meetings feel so stressful?

Why do I need to put my request for a school Special Educ...

The Importance of Intervention before Eligibility

The Basics: IEP and 504 Timelines

First Steps - Communication with the School