This is from the US Dept of Eduaction :
To develop an IEP, the local education agency officials and others involved in the child's educational program meet to discuss education related goals. By law, the following people must be invited to attend the IEP meeting:
~One or both of the child's parents
~The child's teacher or prospective teacher
~A representative of the public agency (local education agency), other than the child's teacher, who is qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education
~The child, if appropriate
~Other individuals at the discretion of the parent or agency (such as a physician, advocate, or neighbor)
With the 1997 Reauthorization of IDEA (P.L. 105-17), parents now must be included as "members of any group that makes decisions on the educational placement of the child." IEP meetings must be held at least annually, but may be held more often if needed. Parents may request a review or revision of the IEP at any time. While teachers and school personnel may come prepared for the meeting with an outline of goals and objectives, the IEP is not complete until it has been thoroughly discussed and all parties agree to the written document.
Parents are entitled to participate in the IEP meeting as equal participants with suggestions and opinions regarding their child's education. They may bring a list of suggested goals and objectives, as well as additional information that may be pertinent, to the IEP meeting.
The local education agency (LEA) must attempt to schedule the IEP meeting at a time and place agreeable to both school staff and parents. School districts must notify parents in a timely manner so that they will have an opportunity to attend. The notification must indicate the purpose of the meeting (i.e. to discuss transition services, behavior problems interfering with learning, academic growth).
Parents may encounter stipulations presented by school personnel that may not necessarily be supported by the provisions of the IDEA. Some statements have included:
"IEPs must be a predetermined number of pages."
"IEPs are to be completed without parental input and only a certain number of goals and objectives are allowed on the IEP."
"If your objective doesn't fit into the field length on our computer program, it can't be included."
There is nothing in the federal law that supports these type of statements or stipulations. While parents should not accept misinformation concerning the IEP, you don't need to approach the parent/school relationship in an adversarial manner. It is in everyone's best interest to remember that both parents and teachers share a common goal: to develop a program that will be appropriate for the child with autism. By sharing information and knowledge, parents and schools can collaborate to develop a truly effective IEP.
***Reviewing and Revising the IEP
The child's IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once a year, or more often if the parents or school ask for a review. If necessary, the IEP is revised. Parents, as team members, must be invited to attend these meetings. Parents can make suggestions for changes, can agree or disagree with the IEP goals, and agree or disagree with the placement.
*If parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out an agreement. There are several options, including additional testing, an independent evaluation, or asking for mediation (if available) or a due process hearing. They may also file a complaint with the state education agency.
The IEP team must review the child's IEP at least once a year. One purpose of this review is to see whether the child is achieving his or her annual goals. The team must revise the child's individualized education program, if necessary, to address:
~the child's progress or lack of expected progress toward the annual goals and in the general curriculum;
~information gathered through any reevaluation of the child;
~information about the child that the parents share;
~information about the child that the school shares (for example, insights from the teacher based on his or her observation of the child or the child's classwork);
~the child's anticipated needs; or
~other matters.
Although the IDEA requires this IEP review at least once a year, in fact the team may review and revise the IEP more often. Either the parents or the school can ask to hold an IEP meeting to revise the child's IEP. For example, the child may not be making progress toward his or her IEP goals, and his or her teacher or parents may become concerned. On the other hand, the child may have met most or all of the goals in the IEP, and new ones need to be written. In either case, the IEP team would meet to revise the IEP.
*** When the IEP has been written, parents must receive a copy at no cost to themselves. The IDEA also stresses that everyone who will be involved in implementing the IEP must have access to the document. This includes the child's:
regular education teacher(s); special education teacher(s);
related service provider(s) (for example, speech therapist); or any other service provider (such as a paraprofessional) who will be responsible for a part of the child's education.
Each of these individuals needs to know what his or her specific responsibilities are for carrying out the child's IEP. This includes the specific accommodations, modifications, and supports that the child must receive, according to the IEP.
***About if you do not agree with the child's IEP or you are having a problem with the school about the child's IEP:
There are times when parents may not agree with the school's recommendations about their child's education. Under the law, parents have the right to challenge decisions about their child's eligibility, evaluation, placement, and the services that the school provides to the child. If parents disagree with the school's actions-or refusal to take action-in these matters, they have the right to pursue a number of options. They may do the following:
*Try to reach an agreement. Parents can talk with school officials about their concerns and try to reach an agreement. Sometimes the agreement can be temporary. For example, the parents and school can agree to try a plan of instruction or a placement for a certain period of time and see how the student does.
*Ask for mediation. During mediation, the parents and school sit down with someone who is not involved in the disagreement and try to reach an agreement. The school may offer mediation, if it is available as an option for resolving disputes prior to due process.
*Ask for due process. During a due process hearing, the parents and school personnel appear before an impartial hearing officer and present their sides of the story. The hearing officer decides how to solve the problem. (Note: Mediation must be available at least at the time a due process hearing is requested.)
*File a complaint with the state education agency. To file a complaint, generally parents write directly to the SEA and say what part of IDEA they believe the school has violated. The agency must resolve the complaint within 60 calendar days. An extension of that time limit is permitted only if exceptional circumstances exist with respect to the complaint.