PreIEPMeetingLetter.txt

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PRE-IEP MEETING LETTER FOR PARENTS TO SEND TO IEP TEAM 

Date 

 

Dear ________________: 

I am writing with regard to our upcoming IEP meeting. At our IEP meeting, I expect that we will cover the 
following information that must be addressed in my child�s IEP, in the following order. I have included an estimate 
of the amount of time that I anticipate we will need to allocate to ensure that we are able to have a full discussion 
of each area. (Note: Times below are approximate for INITIAL IEP meetings; annual reviews should be shorter!) 

 

Time Allotted Topic 

15-20 
minutes 

My child�s �present levels of academic and functional performance� (how my child is doing in 
school, the results of most recent evaluations, and testing, etc.), including how my child�s disability 
affects his/her involvement in the general curriculum, and my child�s strengths as well as needs. 

10 minutes 

Consideration of my concerns and hopes for the education of my child. 

10-30 
minutes 

Consideration of any relevant special factors, such as: (I have checked all that apply): 

__Functional behavior assessments and positive behavioral interventions, as my child�s behavior 
may impede his/her learning or the learning of others; 

__My child�s language needs, as my child has limited English proficiency; 

__My child�s communication needs; 

__My child�s language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communication with 
peers and professional personnel in my child�s language and communicate mode, academic level, 
and full range of needs, including opportunity for direct instruction in my child�s language and 
communication mode, as my child is deaf or hard of hearing; 

__Instruction in and use of Braille, unless we determine after an evaluation of my child�s reading 
and writing skills, needs, and appropriate reading and writing media that instruction in or the use 
of Braille is not appropriate for my child, as my child is blind or visually impaired; 

__My child�s need for assistive technology devices and services, including how my child and 
professionals working with my child will learn to use the assistive technology, and whether my 
child needs to use the assistive technology at home to do homework. 

30 minutes 

Measurable annual goals and benchmarks/short-term objectives for my child, related to helping 
my child be involved in and progress in the general curriculum, and to meeting each of my child�s 
other educational needs resulting from his/her disability, and tied to the general education 
curriculum and the state�s core curriculum content standards (at least one set of goals and 
objectives to address each of my child�s identified needs) 

30 minutes 

The supports, services, accommodations and adjustments that will be provided to my child to 
enable her/him to progress in the general education curriculum and to participate in academic, 
non-academic and extra-curricular activities with non-disabled peers, even if my child is placed 
out of district, including instructional and related services (including the person or persons who 
are directly responsible for implementation of each service and program in my child�s IEP), such 
as: 

__ �Supplementary aids and services,� either directly for my child, or for the teacher, or for 
other children in the class, to help support my child�s successful inclusion in the class; 

__Any special skills, knowledge, or professional development needed by my child�s teacher, 
aide/paraprofessional, related services provider, etc.; 

__Related services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, 
psychiatric or psychological services, transportation, travel training, orientation or mobility 
training, or other related services; 

__Extended school year services to make sure that he/she doesn�t lose knowledge or skills he/she 
learned, over the summer, or to consider other eligibility factors; 




__Services to help my child learn communication skills & strategies; 

__Assistive technology devices and services; 

__A functional behavior assessment & a positive behavior support plan to help address his/her 
challenging behaviors; 

__Services to help my child access extra-curricular and non-academic activities open to students 
without disabilities before, during, and after-school hours, even if my child is in a self-contained or 
out-of-district placement. 

30 minutes 

Transition to Adult Life Planning: 

__If my child is age 14 or older, or younger if appropriate, what courses of study my child might 
take to help prepare for transition to adult life; 

__If my child is 16 or older, or younger if appropriate, what transition to adult life services my 
child needs to prepare for post-secondary education, training, and/or employment, including any 
interagency responsibilities or needed linkages; 

__Services to prepare my child to make his/her own IEP decisions at age 18, or if this is not 
appropriate, a plan for me to secure guardianship before he/she turns 18. 

15 minutes 

Placement (the least restrictive setting in which my child�s IEP can be implemented, and which 
gives my child the maximum appropriate opportunity to interact with other students who do not 
have disabilities): The location where services will be provided, which will be the regular 
classroom in my child�s neighborhood school (the school s/he would attend if not disabled) unless 
we decide that my child�s goals cannot be achieved in that setting even with the provision of 
supplementary aids and services; if we decide that my child will be placed out-of-district, how my 
child will be provided access to extracurricular activities within his/her home (sending) district. 

15 minutes 

How my child will participate in the statewide tests and district-wide tests, and what kinds of 
accommodations my child will need (such as extended time, questions read aloud, giving answers 
orally, testing in a more private, quieter space, using a computer or calculator, etc.), and if we 
decide that my child will not participate in these tests, why they are not appropriate for my child 
and how my child will be assessed using the Alternate Proficiency Assessment 

10 minutes 

How my child�s progress toward his/her annual goals will be measured, and how I will be 
informed of my child�s progress toward achieving the annual goals, and how often (at least as 
often as general education parents receive report cards on their children�s performance) 

10 minutes 

Who will be responsible for ensuring that my child�s services are provided as required by the IEP, 
and for monitoring to ensure that the services are having the desired affect on my child�s 
progress, and how I will be involved in that process (for example, by visiting my child�s classroom 
at least 4 times a year, having periodic meetings with the teacher, having a communication book). 



I anticipate that you will allocate sufficient time (approximately __ hours) to adequately discuss each of these 
required components of my child�s IEP. I also anticipate that all required members of the team (a general 
educator, person qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education, and a district representative 
who can commit the necessary resources so that all IEP decisions can be made at this meeting without having to 
refer them to a �higher authority� within the district, will be present at the meeting and prepared to stay for the 
entire meeting. [In addition to the required members of the team, I am requesting that the following staff also be 
present at the meeting because of the important contributions they will be able to make: (list additional invitees).] 
I would like to inform you at this time that I am also bringing additional people to the meeting, including (list your 
additional invitees). [If you plan to bring a tape recorder to the meeting, add:] Please note that I plan to bring a 
tape recorder to the meeting so that (list reasons, such as: I can have the opportunity to review our IEP discussion 
at a later date; I can share the recording with my spouse/significant other so that s/he can hear the discussion, etc.] 

If you have not scheduled a sufficient amount of time, please notify me immediately so that we can promptly 
schedule a follow-up meeting to complete our IEP discussion. Also, please notify me if there will not be an 
authorized representative present at the IEP meeting with the authority to commit district resources. I look 


forward to a thorough discussion of each of the above issues and the development of a quality IEP for my child�s 
achievement. Thank you.