The IEP Team

Who’s on Your Team? A Guide to the IEP Meeting and Its Members

You’ve learned about the IEP document, the roadmap for your child’s education. Now it’s time to talk about how that roadmap gets made. It happens during a very important conversation called the IEP meeting.

Walking into a conference room with a team of educators can feel nerve-wracking. But let’s reframe that picture. This isn’t a lecture or a judgment; it’s a collaborative workshop. It’s a meeting of experts, and you are one of the most important experts in that room! You are the expert on your child.

This meeting is where everyone brings their knowledge to the table to design a plan that will help your child thrive. Let’s pull back the curtain and meet the team.

Meet the Required Members of the IEP Team

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is very specific about who needs to be at the IEP meeting to ensure all the right expertise is in the room.

1. You! The Parent or Guardian

You are a vital, equal member of this team. No one knows your child’s strengths, challenges, history, and dreams better than you do. You bring the home perspective, the history of what has and hasn’t worked, and the ultimate vision for your child’s future. Your voice is essential.

2. The General Education Teacher

This teacher is the expert on the grade-level curriculum and the typical classroom environment. They can share what they see day-to-day, provide insight into how your child interacts with peers, and help figure out what accommodations and supports will work best in the regular classroom setting.

3. The Special Education Teacher

The special education teacher brings expertise in designing specialized instruction for students with unique learning needs. They understand how to adapt the curriculum, teach different learning strategies, and work with your child to achieve the goals laid out in the IEP.

4. The School District Representative

This person is often the school principal, an assistant principal, or a dedicated ESE specialist. They are sometimes called the LEA Representative (for Local Education Agency). Their key role is to know what resources are available in the district and to have the authority to commit them to your child. They ensure that the services agreed upon in the meeting can actually be provided by the school.

5. The Evaluation Expert

This is the person who can help the team understand the results of your child’s evaluations. Often, this is the school psychologist, but it could also be a speech-language pathologist or another specialist who performed assessments. They translate the test scores and data into practical information about your child’s learning style.

6. The Student

When appropriate, your child should be part of the conversation! This is especially important for older students (in Florida, transition planning must begin by age 16, but can start earlier depending on your district). Including your child helps them develop self-advocacy skills and gives them a voice in their own education.

What to Expect During the Meeting

While every meeting is unique, they generally follow a familiar flow:

1. Introductions: Everyone will introduce themselves and their role on the team.
2. Purpose: The team leader will state the purpose of the meeting (e.g., to develop the initial IEP, to review the annual IEP).
3. Review of Information: The team will discuss your child’s present levels of performance (PLAAFP), building that foundational picture of their strengths and needs. This is where you share your parent input.
4. Goal Setting: Based on the present levels, the team will collaboratively write or review the measurable annual goals.
5. Services and Placement: The team will then discuss the special education services, related services, accommodations, and placement needed to help your child achieve those goals.
6. Finalization: The team will ensure everyone is on the same page and ask for your consent to begin the services outlined in the IEP.

Remember, you don’t have to sign the IEP at the end of the meeting. You are always allowed to take it home to review it before giving your consent.

What’s Next? Getting Ready for the Big Day

Knowing who is on the team and what happens in the meeting is a huge step toward feeling confident. But how can you best prepare to be an active and effective partner in the process? In our next post, we’ll give you a practical checklist of things you can do before, during, and after the meeting to make sure your voice is heard and your child gets the best plan possible.