If you are like many parents, when you receive a telephone call or letter inviting you to an IEP meeting, you respond with anxiety. Few parents look forward to attending IEP meetings. You may feel anxious, confused and inadequate at school meetings. Because they are not educators, most parents don't understand that they have a unique role to play in the IEP process.
Parents are the experts on their child.
Think about it. You spend hours every week in the company of your child. You make casual obser- vations about your child in hundreds of different situations. You are emotionally connected to and attuned to your child. You notice small but important changes in your child's behavior and emotions that may be overlooked by others.