IEP rights, school setup & advocacy
Don't walk in unprepared. Write down your top three concerns. Bring examples — short videos from home, notes, the entries you've logged in Roots. Ask for the draft IEP before the meeting so you're not reading it cold in the room. Write your questions down before you go. Many parents bring a partner, a friend or an advocate just to take notes. If it gets heated, ask for a five-minute break. The IEP Prep Generator in Harvest can build your list of questions.
Slow down. Ask for a copy to read at home before you decide anything. For each change, ask: "What will this look like on a normal Tuesday?" A good goal says what your child will do, how well, and how it will be measured — if you can't tell how they'll know it's working, ask. Before you leave, write down what was agreed. That night, send a short email summarizing it; the School Email Writer can draft it for you.
A no is not the end of the conversation. Stay calm and ask them to put the reason in writing. Ask what information they used and what would change their answer. Make your own request in writing too — an email is fine, and the date matters. Get a second opinion from your child's doctor or therapist. And call your state's Parent Center: every state has a federally funded one, and helping parents with exactly this is what they do.
Visit the link →The IEP is only as good as what actually happens on a school day. Keep a simple log: the date, what was supposed to happen, and what did. Ask for the service logs or data sheets. Email instead of calling, so everything is in writing. Start with the teacher or case manager, and if nothing changes, ask for a meeting — in writing. Forward school emails to your child's Bloom address so they land in their record, and log what you see in Roots.
Start with the person closest to the problem — the teacher or case manager. If that doesn't fix it, ask for an IEP meeting in writing and bring your log and examples. Stay firm and calm, and put every agreement in writing afterward. Your state's Parent Center can help you plan the next step before you take it.
Visit the link →Ask the school to call you the same day about any incident, and ask for the incident report in writing. Keep your own log in Roots — what happened right before and right after. Behavior has a reason; ask the team what they think it is. If incidents keep happening, ask for a meeting to look at why and for a written behavior plan built from that. Share what works at home. If you're ever told your child was restrained or secluded, or your child comes home hurt, ask for everything in writing and call your Parent Center.
Bloom learns your child from what you share, then answers your hardest questions for them — not with generic advice.
Talk to Bloom about School & IEP →