Reply to Ever cry at an IEP meeting?

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Reply to "Ever cry at an IEP meeting?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
My best suggestion for [i]any[/i] IEP meeting is bring a [b]digital recorder[/b]*, and put it on the table and say "If you don't mind, we would like to record the meeting for our records."
 [/quote]

I have to disagree that this is a universally good idea.  I have a great relationship with our IEP teams and they serve my child well.  I have been at this for ten years now and I believe that the cooperative relationship we have is a great benefit to my child.  I would never risk this by putting a recorder on the table unless I had a reason to mistrust the team.  [/quote]

You're right, I guess I should have qualified it (rather than stating it as good for [i]any[/i] IEP).   The situation we were in was one where we were having hostile remarks from the staff directed toward us, and uneducated questions like "Why does your son keep repeating the same thing over and over?" … and these are educators who are [i]supposed to be[/i] trained in dealing with children with special needs!!  It's not that uncommon for an autistic child to repeat a given phrase over and over!

I agree with the previous poster that if you have a good relationship with your IEP team, then this might seem like a hostile move on your part, to introduce the recorder.  It will signal that you don't trust them, and/or you may try to use their own words against them at some future time.  In our case that was exactly what we needed!  So, be mindful of your current situation and apply my suggestions as appropriate to your needs.  And realize that those suggestions were coming from a time & place where we felt that we were being stonewalled, and none of our suggestions or recommendations for his placement and needs were getting through.  After we implemented the recorder & me (the Father) being involved (along with an Educational Consultant), things began to change for the better. [/quote]

[b]I am probably jinxing myself (IEP meeting next week!), but more than ever I feel extraordinarily lucky that my DC has a team that makes it anything but contentious. Now I worry that I've been doing something wrong all these years. Am I not asking for enough?[b][/quote]

In my experience with 3 different schools and 5 principals, the school administrator at the meeting can make a big difference in the tone.  If parents feel their concerns and ideas are taken seriously in the process then it feels like a collaborative effort, as it should be.  The worst meetings (and the ones where my child's rights and protections were seriously violated) was with an Assistant School Administrator who conspired to withhold info. that showed problems my daughter was having and prompted school personnel on what to say prior to the meeting.  It is NEVER a good meeting when the school administrator dictates what can be discussed and what cannot be discussed (red flags should go up with this type of announcement at the beginning).

As far as if you are asking for enough -

Is your child making progress towards his/her goals?

What data is being presented to support the goals are being met?

What new goals should your child be transitioning as he/her gets older and the curriculum becomes more challenges?

Does the team consider your concerns and your child's needs for services?

If you are happy with the answers to these questions, I would say you should count your child lucky and be happy with the team at your school.[/quote]

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