CONFIDENT SOLUTIONS, LLC
BRIDGING THE GAP BY EMPOWERING CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND SCHOOLS THROUGH MAKING MINDFUL CONNECTIONS.

Confident Solutions
When attending a meeting to discuss your child's needs, there are a few phrases you should never hear. Below are just a few:
- ANY word regarding money. Never, never, never should an employee of the school say anything about what services can and can not be offered because of monetary concerns. IEP Team members make decisions for a child based on the child's need and the data to show that need.
- "We can't test your child until we have tried RTI (or MTSS)". This statement is false. Take a look at our blog What Can I Do if My Child is Struggling in School?
- "This meeting will only be an hour because (insert any reason here: the general education teacher has to leave, we have another meeting scheduled, etc)." The meeting should last as long as necessary to address the concerns of every member of the team. Who Is On Your Child’s Team?
- "We aren't going to add your statement to the DEC 5 because we don't agree with you." As a member of your child's team, you have the right to add any statement regarding your child and the meeting, even if they don't agree. The Importance of a DEC5
- "We can't make that decision today." At every meeting, there should be a person who has the authority to make decisions. This person is called the LEA representative. They should know and understand laws regarding special education, policies within the school and district, and have knowledge of the budget.
- "We don't accept outside evaluations." In North Carolina, all evaluations must be considered by the IEP Team. If you offer an outside evaluation documenting your child's needs, the Team needs to discuss it and see how and if it is is relevant to the over all data for your child.