You’ve started adjusting bedtime. The backpack is ready. You’ve talked with your child about the first day and helped them understand what to expect.

But there’s another important question to ask:

Is the school ready for your child?

You may be working hard to prepare your child, but the school also needs to be ready to provide the support your child needs.

One of the best things you can do before school begins is pull out last year’s IEP or 504 Plan and read through it slowly.

Read the Plan Like It’s the First Time

Don’t skim the document because you’ve seen it before. Read it as if someone handed it to you for the first time.

Make a copy and write questions in the margins. Highlight anything you don’t understand or want to discuss with the school.

Ask yourself:

• Do these accommodations still meet my child’s needs?

• Which accommodations worked and which ones didn’t?

• Were the accommodations consistently followed?

• Have my child’s medical, sensory, emotional, behavioral, or learning needs changed?

• If my child has an IEP, are the goals appropriate and measurable?

• Does the plan explain how progress will be measured and reported?

  

Your child has had several weeks away from the classroom to relax and play. Depending on when you last met with the school, the current plan may no longer accurately reflect your child’s needs.

Think about what happened during the previous school year. Were there accommodations that sounded helpful on paper but didn’t work in practice? Were there supports your child needed but didn’t consistently receive? Is there anything new the school should know before classes begin?

Look Closely at the Goals

This is something I wish we had done much sooner.

It wasn’t until we were preparing for due process that we put our child’s accommodations and goals from the previous three years into a spreadsheet.

That was when we discovered that the math goal had not changed in three years. It had basically been copied and pasted from one IEP to the next.

That was a huge red flag.

If your child has an IEP, compare the current goals with goals from previous years. Look at whether the wording and expectations have changed and whether the goals reflect your child’s present abilities and needs.

Ask whether each goal is measurable, how progress will be reported, and whether your child is actually making progress. A goal that remains unchanged year after year deserves a closer look.

You don’t need to create a spreadsheet unless it would help you. However, comparing several years of goals and accommodations may reveal patterns you could miss when reviewing only the current plan.

Help the New Team Understand Your Child

Don’t assume that every teacher or staff member working with your child has read the IEP or 504 Plan.

Before school begins, reach out to the teacher and introduce yourself and your child with a brief summary that clearly lists your child’s most important goals, accommodations, and support needs.

You can also include:

• Your child’s strengths and interests.

• What helps your child feel comfortable and successful.

• Situations that may cause anxiety or overwhelm.

• How your child communicates when something is wrong.

• What helps your child calm down and reengage.

This summary doesn’t replace the official IEP or 504 Plan. It makes the most important information easier for the teacher to understand and helps them see your child as a whole person, not simply as a diagnosis or document.

Ask the teacher how they prefer to communicate. You don’t want to overwhelm them with unnecessary messages, but you also don’t want to wait weeks for answers when something important is happening.

Agreeing on how and when you’ll communicate can make the beginning of the school year easier for everyone.

You Don’t Have to Wait for the Annual Review

You don’t have to wait until your child’s annual IEP or 504 review to request a meeting.

If something in the plan doesn’t make sense, ask questions. If an accommodation needs to change or your child has updated needs, request a meeting.

You don’t have to wait until your child is struggling or the situation becomes a crisis.

Keep Everything in One Place

Create one place to keep your child’s current IEP or 504 Plan, previous plans, evaluations, progress reports, important emails, and meeting notes.

When questions arise, you’ll be able to find the information you need without searching through stacks of papers or hundreds of emails.

Begin the Year With a Clear Plan

An IEP or 504 Plan is only helpful when the people supporting your child understand it and follow it.

Taking time now to review the plan, identify your questions, and connect with the teacher can help everyone begin the school year with a clearer understanding of what your child needs.

You are an important part of your child’s educational team. If something doesn’t look right, ask questions. Speaking up before school begins may help prevent a much larger problem later.

For more practical information, advocacy tools, and support for families raising children with complex needs, follow Healing Complex Kids® on Facebook and Instagram.