Attending a Child Study Team Meeting: Knowledge=Power

Ellen G. Topiel, M.A., Independent Educational Evaluator/Former Advocate

Maxability Learning 

Topiel@maxabilitylearning.com

Attending a Child Study Team Meeting: Knowledge=Power

What should a parent(s)/guardian(s) of children with disabilities expect when advocating for their child’s special education needs with a Child Study Team (CST)?  

Participating in an IEP meeting for the first time can be anxiety provoking and overwhelming. The CST meeting can be quite intimidating.  Upon walking in, you and your spouse may encounter a serious faced group of seated strangers who outnumber you.  Just keeping track of their names and titles is challenging!  I know because I am the parent of a now grown son who has Tourette Syndrome, OCD, ADD, learning issues and an autoimmune disease.  I am also a trained and experienced board certified education advocate.  You would think by now that I would march my way in with a swagger, but I still have to take a deep head-clearing breath before I sit down.

What are some important tips for a parent or guardian to know about advocating for their children and empowering themselves?

Under Federal and State statutes and regulations, you are considered an equal member of the Child Study Team.  In reality, parent(s) do not always get a fair shake. Potentially, parent(s) might experience some of the following:

• Confused by information overload and unfamiliar education lingo
• Overwhelmed by people talking at you and/or over you
• Angered at an unfair or inaccurate assumption made about your child
• Sad and disappointed hearing that your child is not doing as well as his/her peers
• Helpless and devastated that you cannot wave a magic wand and fix your child
• Stymied by random or unreasonable refusals for your requests
• Stressed by the lengthy process and convoluted procedures
• Frustrated and minimized because there could be 5 minutes left for you to voice your concerns

How can parent(s)/guardian(s) even the playing field so they can participate as equal team members in creating their child’s special education plan?  

Consider the following suggestions:

• Believe that you are the best expert about your child’s needs  
• Walk in with confidence and an intention to listen constructively and share information in a productive manner
• Prepare a written agenda to keep you organized and focused
• Read and know as much as you can about your child’s disability and the criteria necessary to classify your child for special education services
• Ask for evaluations if you feel information is missing or inaccurate about your child’s difficulties
• Preview and get help to understand the results of your child’s evaluations
• Ask team members to re-explain anything that you do not understand as many times as you need
• Document every meeting, communication, comment, and event regarding your child in writing
• Prepare a description of your child’s struggles (things they cannot do independently) and strengths (things they can do independently)
• Give specific examples that illustrate these difficulties 
• Ask individual CST members to give their opinions about strategies that might help your child
• Be willing to consider more than one option to meet your child’s needs
• Calmly correct any misperceptions about your child
• Get emotional support for yourself from a parent group, professional therapist, spouse, or friends
• Ask to take a break if you feel your temper rising
• Request a 2nd meeting if there was not enough time for you to discuss all your concerns
• Agree to disagree temporarily, and put in place a time-limited trial of a specific research-based intervention with meaningful and measurable data collected
• Know that the school is expected to provide a fair and appropriate education and meaningful progress.   Schools are not required to guarantee your child will reach his highest potential.
• Research your child’s special education rights by reading the parent handbook, viewing State and Federal Departments of Education and Federal Office of Civil Rights’ websites, and/or consulting an advocate

The most important way to be prepared to advocate for your child is to load yourself with knowledge and understanding of the special education process. The more you become familiar with the legal regulations, educational policies, instructional strategies, and how to interpret assessment results, the easier it will become to participate effectively at a Child Study Team meeting.  With each subsequent meeting, you will be able to ask for what your child needs because you know what interventions and services are available and possible.  Write the IEP as if you are preparing for a difficult trip.  Build up your endurance with advance training, map out the directions to your destination, write a list of tools and emergency supplies that you will need to carry out a successful journey, schedule checkpoints to monitor if you are staying on course, and estimate how much time it will take to get there at a reasonable and comfortable pace. Prepared and equipped, parent(s)/guardian(s) can deftly manage the unexpected bumps, uneven ruts, and difficult inclines in the road that are inherent in the complicated special education process.