IEP Team Members
How many people should attend an IEP meeting? Who are IEP Team Members? Is there a minimum number?
Before we start, an important concept: consider the purpose of your IEP meeting.
Table of Content
Who are the members of the IEP Team?
Who is the leader of the IEP Meeting?
Who can excuse IEP Team Members?
Who are the members of the IEP Team?
Parents/Guardians: You are a member of the IEP team. We recommend attending all IEP meetings. You can participate in a meeting virtually, via phone, or in person.
Student: Depends on the age and maturity of the student. Students sometimes attend IEP meetings to share their concerns, areas of need, goals, or report to the team on their accomplishments. While it is uncommon for them to stay in the entire meeting, they legally have the right. After speaking, they are typically excused to return to class or other educational activities as outlined by the services in their IEP. Note- Special Education teachers can ask students their areas of concern, needs, etc., before an IEP meeting and transcribe that information to the appropriate section on the IEP. For example, a student may share they want to be a chef.
Local Education Agency (LEA): this person represents the school district. Typically they are an admin well versed in special education services. The challenge is sometimes a Special Education teacher may also serve as an LEA at a meeting. Most times, this person is not the Special Education teacher.
General Education Teacher: this is as simple as it sounds. They may not be a necessary attending team member for an update (for example, transportation), but they should attend an annual IEP meeting. While it is “common” this person is “excused,” you do not have to grant that permission as a parent. Feel free to have questions for the General Education teacher as well. Also, ask to make sure this General Education teacher has your child in their class. It should not be a random General Education teacher. The information they share is important as it is related to the student’s experience in the General Education setting.
Special Education Teacher: This is your child’s Special Education Teacher. They may sign in as Case Manager. This depends on the school/entity.
Professional to interpret evaluation results: this person is typically a psychologist (depends on the purpose of the meeting).
Additional professionals can include any other related service provider—for example, SLP, Audiologist, 1:1 professional, BCBA, Reading Specialist, etc. As a parent, you can also invite an advocate or lawyer to the meeting.
Who is the leader of the IEP Meeting?
For this answer, we will refer to the leader as someone knowledgeable about Special Education Law and can answer specific questions related to the district policy and federal law. The answer is the LEA. While the LEA may ensure parts of the IEP are reviewed sufficiently, it is important to remember this meeting for the IEP team. No one member, including the LEA, makes decisions independently.
Who can excuse IEP Team Members?
The LEA or Case Manager may ask you as a parent if it is okay for a team member to leave early or not attend a meeting. Remember, this is a question and you have the right to say no especially if you have questions for that individual. For example, if you have questions for the SLP or OT. You may also ask the General Education teacher questions about how your child is doing in their class, use this time to check in on accommodations and/or modifications, etc.
Additional Reminder: when considering team members, it is important to consider the purpose of your IEP meeting. Remember to review the meeting invitation. It should have information related to the invited attendees.
Here’s a gov’t resource with additional info: A Guide to the IEP
Action item: Review the sign-in sheet from your last IEP meeting. Is there anyone you wish would’ve attended? If so, write this information down so you can reference it in the future.
Until next time,
EI
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