Do you bug or contact IEP team?

[Anonymous]

I have 2 kids with IEP. One still needs social and behavior goals, and the other one still needs overall developmental delay goals which mainly speech and literacy. I rarely bug or contact their IEP team for follow up, and they seem to be making their improvement at their own pace.

I think they have missed giving me quarterly report, and I mainly talk to them when there is annual IEP meeting and parent teacher conferences ( 2x a year).
Am I too lazy or laid back or is that what other parents do? I don't have much concern, so I decide not to email/bug them. And, I ask them what & how my kids do when it is time for our meetings. I opt out all in person meeting, and do zoom/google for conveniences.

Background is 1st kid had many delays at beginning, from nonverbal at age 3 and outgrew speech/literacy concerns, and now mainly social and behavioral goals. 2nd kid many delays at beginning, from nonverbal at age 3 and now can talk in short sentences/phrases, and now mainly speech and literacy concerns at age 4.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't let any of that slide.

[Anonymous]

What district are you in? Some districts haven't reached the end of the quarter yet, so it may be appropriate that you haven't received a quarterly report yet. But, if you attend meetings and have no concerns aside from the missing quarterly reports, you are doing just fine.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely write a formal letter expressing these things. Send a copy to teacher, principal, sped director, superintendent, and liaison.

[Anonymous]

When did school start? I’m in Fairfax County, and report cards are only coming out this week. That means IEP progress reports come out as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't let any of that slide.

This is PP back again. Do you mean that the goals haven't been developed? +1 to PP that in many school systems, Q1 just ended so the progress reports will be forthcoming in the next two weeks.

[Anonymous]

Always feel free to contact your child's IEP team.

[Anonymous]

Sped teacher here, I haven’t sent progress reports yet, today was the last day that should be included in the report. If you’re DCPS it’ll be about 2 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely write a formal letter expressing these things. Send a copy to teacher, principal, sped director, superintendent, and liaison.

Why would OP need to write a letter? She doesn’t have concerns.

OP, I was like you in that I rarely contacted the team. For a period of time, we had contact requirements built into the IEP so I had information for the psychiatrist and also to monitor progress on large projects. I got what we needed. I also got calls if there were problems. To me, no news was good news and I appreciated the silence.

[Anonymous]

OP, *If* you have concerns, I would at the very least email the entire team. Why? You want a paper trail in case you need to increase services, etc.

[Anonymous]

Op here. I am not talking about goals not developed (even some goals are too easy to achieve or some are too aggressive) or this semester quarterly report ( too early to ask). I am talking about past year(s), I believe I have missed receiving some progress reports. I think I don’t want to push too much or bother IEP team because I know they are busy and both of my kids are making their progress at their pace.

I was super worried or raised many concerns at the time when both of my kids were nonverbal, and later on, with diagnosis revealed, now I think I am more understanding why they had/have challenges and they cannot be “fixed” completely through therapies. And, I know as time go on, more challenges are forthcoming as they get older. I think part of me not giving up on my kids, but taking more baby steps, doing sit and wait approach, don’t want to anger IEP teams, and save some energy for the coming future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I am not talking about goals not developed (even some goals are too easy to achieve or some are too aggressive) or this semester quarterly report ( too early to ask). I am talking about past year(s), I believe I have missed receiving some progress reports. I think I don’t want to push too much or bother IEP team because I know they are busy and both of my kids are making their progress at their pace.

I was super worried or raised many concerns at the time when both of my kids were nonverbal, and later on, with diagnosis revealed, now I think I am more understanding why they had/have challenges and they cannot be “fixed” completely through therapies. And, I know as time go on, more challenges are forthcoming as they get older. I think part of me not giving up on my kids, but taking more baby steps, doing sit and wait approach, don’t want to anger IEP teams, and save some energy for the coming future.

We missed a few quarterly reports during the height of COVID and one when we met to revise and significantly change the IEP just a week or two before the quarter ended (so they owuldn't really have had data or been tracking goals yet--the IEP just changed). Other than I have gotten them regularly (APS).

I would not let it slide at this point, but since there may have been different case carriers or staff involved in past years I would wait and see if you get a progress report this quarter. If not, inquire immediately and mention/document the times you didn't get them in the past. Just my two cents.
--Mom of two kids in elementary with IEPS