Navigating the world of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) can feel overwhelming for caregivers, but the process can be more manageable with your help as an SLP! Let’s delve into how and why you should ensure caregivers feel like integral parts of the IEP process. I promise– everyone will be better for it!
How & Why to Ensure Caregivers Feel Like an Integral Part of the IEP Process
IEP Reminders
Maybe you’re new to the school setting or are working with a different age than you previously have. Either way, it’s always good to review the basics before you begin to think about educating someone else (in this case, caregivers!).
First, remember that an IEP is a blueprint for special education services within the school system. It lays out the child’s unique needs and describes the specific ways they will access the general curriculum.
Next, this plan should be a collaborative process between the student’s caregivers, educators and specialists, and the student (depending on their age). As the SLP, you will have specialized knowledge to share, but the caregivers will also have important information to give. Together, you will work to make the child’s IEP as unique as the child!
*Read more about beginner insights into the IEP (and an IFSP) to help prepare families.
Why Is It Important that Caregivers are Integral Participants in the IEP Process?
Legal Reasons
Before jumping to the technicalities of a child’s IEP with the family, it’s important that caregivers understand their rights.
Legally, they are equal members of their child’s IEP team. When caregivers understand that they are not just invited to be kind or to check off a box, but are actually equal players in the IEP process, they begin to advocate more for their child.
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the school cannot change a child’s IEP without the caregivers’ consent. Caregivers also have the right to invite others to IEP meetings to assist them in advocating and can request to see documentation at any time.
Helping caregivers understand their rights in the IEP process is not only helpful, but it’s an important piece to building trust and ensuring the entire IEP process is more individualized to their child– which is exactly what we all want!
Special Insight
Beyond the legalities, caregivers have special insight that SLPs do not!
They are the experts of their child while teachers and therapists are experts in special education and therapies. They know what makes their child tick in the best (and sometimes most challenging!) ways. They know what their child’s favorite interests are and can share their own goals for their child with their desires, relationships, and culture in mind.
While an IEP is focused on how a child’s needs impact their access to school, the information caregivers share about their child at home and in the community can provide invaluable insight towards creating appropriate IEP goals and determining proper accommodations.
Don’t overlook the power of the caregivers’ insight!
How to Ensure Caregivers Are Involved
Once caregivers understand why they are so integral in the IEP process, it’s your responsibility as the SLP to work towards involving them in the process.
Hint: It’s so much more than just setting goals together!
Open Communication
The first step to ensuring caregivers are involved in the IEP process is open communication.
Make sure you provide opportunities for parents to express concerns and for you to truly listen to them. These conversations help you understand caregivers’ concerns while helping them feel less stressed and understand that you all are working toward the same goal— assisting their child in improving communication skills!
These conversations need to happen throughout the school year, not just right before an IEP meeting is set to occur. This collaboration can be through daily notes in an agenda or folder, quarterly progress notes, phone calls, caregiver participation in classroom and school events, and more.
Ongoing collaboration makes the IEP meeting more meaningful when you get to it. Writing and implementing the IEP will also be much easier for the entire team when caregivers have been involved in the process throughout the entire year!
Speak Clearly
During these conversations, communicate with caregivers with easy-to-understand language. Avoid acronyms and educational terms that may not be familiar to families.
Using more approachable language will help caregivers feel more at ease and less stressed. When they are comfortable, they are more likely to actively participate in the process.
By communicating clearly and in an approachable way, you are also promoting a more inclusive and collaborative setting for families.
Share Speech-related Resources
Part of communicating openly and clearly with caregivers involves making sure they understand speech and language concepts. The very things that seem second nature to you as an SLP can feel intimidating to caregivers.
Pre-made handouts are often a great solution to this educational piece for caregivers! By providing materials for them to read on their own time, you boost understanding and follow-through, which helps ensure caregivers are more actively involved in the IEP process.
This Parent Education Handouts BUNDLE is an invaluable resource to use with your families of preschool and early elementary-aged students. You can share these with parents at back-to-school meetings, after receiving new referrals, and at IEP meetings.
You can also use this FREE Parent Handout to help explain testing scores to caregivers. This one page handout includes descriptions of:
- Raw scores
- Age Equivalencies
- Standard Scores
- Percentile Ranks
Use the included bell curve so you can jot in the (approximate) scoring level of their child’s speech and language skills to make things even more understandable for families during meetings!
Strengths and Weaknesses
Explain to caregivers that while the IEP focus is on deficits, this doesn’t mean you don’t see their child’s strengths!
Reduce fear and anxiety by keeping the focus on the child’s strengths. Avoid subjective thoughts, and focus on sharing objective information and data from evaluation results, language samples, and teacher reports. Discuss weaknesses by comparing the students’ communicative skills to those of other students their age and sharing how providing additional support in these areas will better help the child in the long term.
As you keep your focus on objective data, caregivers can more easily understand what areas their child can be supported in through the individualized instruction of the IEP and remember the special strengths their child already has.
Final Thoughts
And finally, be confident in yourself! Caregivers can sense your confidence and will feed positively off of your calm and collected nature.
Your role as a pediatric SLP in the IEP process is not just about sharing communication challenges a child has. You also have the power to foster a collaborative, supportive environment for families. By choosing to ensure caregivers feel like an integral part of the IEP process (and understand why they are!), you are working towards better long-term success!
Looking for more tips on talking to caregivers as well as a free initial questionnaire to determine goals? Click here.
You may also be interested in reading:
Tips for communicating with speech families
TOP 3 Tips SLPs Need to Know for Writing Progress Notes
Data Collection Tips for Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists
