You Got this!: Resources to Help Parents of Children with Autism Navigate the IEP Process

Compiled by Sierra Celiberti

It can be difficult for parents of children with autism to navigate the complexities and multitude of decisions associated with special education services, particularly when it pertains to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Although this journey may seem overwhelming, below are some resources that can guide you in learning about the process, components, and safeguards associated with IEPs. These offerings can also help you create a plan that works for your child, best meets their needs, and supports you as both a parent and an advocate.

Some IEP Resources for Parents

Welcome to A Day in Our Shoes.  This website may be helpful when seeking support and guidance to better understand and navigate IEPs. The hosts of this website offer articles that address many important topics, and although a comprehensive listing is beyond the scope of this short piece, I will highlight a few of them here, including a helpful chart of dozens of frequently used special education acronyms. As a parent, identifying your child’s strengths may be challenging perhaps in part as there is often a focus on weaknesses and needs. Fortunately, this article includes 127 strengths children with special needs often demonstrate, and parents like yourselves may find that many apply to your child. The website also showcases a wide range of videos. One of these videos details whether an extended school year is suitable for your child and what to expect from this experience. Additionally, another helpful article shares study skill goals and accommodations for students with IEPS and 504s (Note: A 504 plan delineates accommodations to help a student be more successful at school).  Again, there is a tremendous amount of useful content on this site, so please explore their library of articles.

Special Education: IEP Tips. This article by The Autism Community in Action breaks down the IEP process section by section and is an informative resource for those seeking to understand and successfully navigate the IEP process. For example, one section discusses how you are an essential part of the IEP team. It also reviews tips for working with the other team members, like the case manager (e.g., track and document verbal conversations and interactions that occur during the meeting to help the individuals involved remember what took place). The article provides a timeline of what to do before, during, and after an IEP meeting. Additionally, each section provides detailed and practical suggestions, such as packing a bag the night before and making sure you have the proper documentation ready to go.

Checklist: Is Your Child’s IEP Individualized, as IDEA requires? This checklist by WrightsLaw offers a supportive resource to help ensure that the finalized IEP is appropriate and effective for your child. It offers questions such as, “Does the documentation mention all needs due to their disability and whether the IEP mentions how it will document and measure your child’s goals?” The document also includes extra space to add questions and concerns you can voice with your child’s team. This document may be beneficial in recommending strategies when advocating for your child/children during the IEP process.

Understood. This website provides resources for those with different learning and attention issues. There are multiple sources provided by the website surrounding IEPs, such as a blog post about how to request an IEP meeting if you feel the one in place for your child is not appropriate or effective. A short but helpful article about navigating IEP meetings breaks down what takes place during a meeting. Another useful article about staying on top of your child’s IEP provides tips on how to best engage in the process and even transitioning out of an IEP. Finally, you can read a dozen parent stories about their IEP meeting experiences. Each experience is unique but can help you learn from others’ stories. This website would be an excellent tool for those seeking further details about the IEP process and connecting with a community working through similar circumstances.

IEP Resources Specific to ASD

ASD IEP Tips Toolkit. This tool kit by the National Autism Association is also geared toward helping parents and guardians of children with autism navigate the IEP process. The toolkit offers multiple templates, such as a request letter sample, which allows you to enter personal information about your child if you believe the team should consider a functional behavior assessment. The National Autism Association also offers other resources to help support parents with children with autism, such as wandering prevention tips to help your child at school and in the community. The toolkit provides helpful resources and should be crafted for each child’s areas of needs and strengths.

Autism New Jersey. This website helps support families, professionals, and anyone wanting a deeper understanding of autism via a vast library of articles, a helpline, and an annual conference. A helpful article, 10 Tips for Parents during the IEP process, breaks the IEP process up into preparation, during, and after the meeting. These steps can help make the process easier to navigate. Another insightful article, Are parents required to sign the IEP?, helps to explain your right as a guardian when signing and approving the IEP for your child. This resource can be helpful to parents looking for help and guidance during the IEP process and even seeking to further educate themselves on autism.  Finally, a wonderful article discusses eligibility for Extended School Year services. This would be a very helpful read if your child may need year-round service and support.

What Are IEPs for Autism? This article by Total Care Therapy reviews how to develop and implement practical IEP goals for your child with autism. It even breaks down the tips into acronyms to help make the process easier. For example, the SMART framework (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based) will help create an impactful IEP for your child. It also offers insights into the legal aspects of IEPs for autism. This article would be helpful to any parent who would want a more detailed guide on creating an IEP that better addresses their child’s unique strengths and needs.

39 Behavior IEP Goals including Adaptive Behavior and Adaptive Skills. This article, also published by A Day in Our Shoes, focuses on behavior goals for your child’s IEP. It delves into various sections you can review to address your child’s specific areas of improvement. For example, there are subsections that showcase sample IEP goals for adaptive behavior, on-task/work completion, class participation, self-control, and self-monitoring to name a few. Additionally, a printable list of behavior goals is available that you can use and include in your child’s IEP. This article is an informative resource for parents who might need support in creating behavior goals for their child.

Guide to Individualized Education Programs. This tool kit by Autism Speaks offers programs to help parents through the IEP process. The supportive videos offered here provide information on a range of topics, including the basics of what an IEP is and how to change your child’s IEP. The toolkit even provides a short video to monitor if your child is making progress under their IEP. This toolkit helps provide insightful information, from starting the process to tracking your child’s progress. Using these helpful resources can help ease how overwhelming the process may seem.

Resources Specific to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Given that ABA is a well-established and heavily researched intervention for preschool through high school students with ASD, we wanted to include a few specific sources in this compilation.

How ABA Therapy Supports Individualized Education Plans. In this article, Cross River Therapy helps deliver valuable insights on the importance of ABA therapy and understanding how to properly create an IEP for your child. It explains how ABA therapy works and offers strategies to incorporate it into your child’s life. The article also covers the key components of an IEP and what services are available for your child. For example, it suggests behavior strategies based on ABA therapy services. This source informs parents how ABA can be useful for their child and how an IEP can be beneficial when successfully set up for their child’s needs.

ABA Services in IEP. The short but informative blog post by Full Spectrum ABA covers steps to help incorporate ABA services for your child with autism into their IEPs. It offers several tips, starting with getting proper documentation and recommendations, and it even mentions the parents’ right to advocate for their child to receive ABA services. This blog can be helpful for those interested in learning about ABA and the associated services they can receive through their child’s IEP.

Other Resources Related to Advocacy

Seven Tips for Being an Advocate for Your Child With Autism. This blog by Kelly’s Thoughts on Things provides seven short but useful ways to become an advocate for your child. It reviews how every child with autism is different, and their needs must be catered to individually. For example, one tip recommends seeing the world like your child and helping them confidently maneuver life. This short read may be useful to both parents and other individuals who want to help become better advocates for children with autism.

Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. This website aims to help educate and protect the legal and civil rights of parents of children with disabilities. It offers resources to parents, professionals, and a place to connect with community events and professionals. Specifically, an article about choosing an attorney is helpful for those looking for an advocate to get the proper educational services your child may need. It provides guidelines, tips, and more to ensure you can find the appropriate attorney for your child. The website also offers an article about choosing a trained advocate who is not an attorney but can help support your child through the education process. This recourse may be helpful to parents and families seeking legal help to navigate through the IEP process.

Your Rights In School: A Good Education for All. The article by Autism Self Advocacy Network explains the rights your child with autism has in school. It breaks down vital laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It helps to establish how every child has the right to a free education and how a student’s IEP must be followed. The article also includes a long list of other resources. For example, one resource on navigating college can help you prepare your child to become a self-advocate should they consider pursuing higher education. Two examples of tips they offer for students to become better advocates are to learn what legal rights they have and to know their responsibilities in notifying and providing supporting documentation to the college or university. This article may be useful for both parents and students looking to become a better advocate for autism.

Podcasts, Webinars, and Other Videos

How to Participate in Your IEP Meeting. This short video by INCLUDEnyc discusses how students over fourteen can be active participants in their own IEP meetings. The video starts by having students identify their strengths and areas of improvement. This can help both the student and parents to work together and look at what accommodations are needed and what learning goals are achievable. This video is a great way for older students to see how their voices can be heard during this process and help parents and other members of the team become more aware of strengths and needs from the perspective of the students themselves.

How to Show Up for IEP Meetings with Confidence. In the podcast by Mothers Guide to Autism this episode offers helpful advice for tackling the IEP meeting. It covers how parents should think about every factor of a child’s education, including both academic and social. The episode also addresses expectations parents should have going into the meeting and how to be prepared. They also speak of how you can have a professional advocate to help with the overwhelming process. This podcast would be an excellent tool for parents looking for advice when going into an IEP meeting.

Episode 141: IEP Advocacy with Annie McLaughlin. This podcast by How to ABA is helpful for parents who find the IEP process daunting and are looking for effective ways to become an advocate for their child. The podcast offers first-hand accounts of the challenges parents experience. For example, many parents can focus on asking more expansive questions such as, “Can you tell me what that might look like in the classroom?” This can help create more interactive and open discussions that can help advocate for the proper needs in the IEP. An open discussion can help ensure that you are being an advocate. Another highlight from the podcast is how to prevent and reduce burnout. The process for an IEP can be long however, it is also important to understand adjustments can be made to school services and accommodations if the IEP does not seem like it is working as planned.

Autism Speech Therapy IEP Goals. This 27-minute episode by INCLUDEnyc focuses on creating helpful, appropriate, and measurable IEP goals. The video is helpful to both parents and professionals looking to create goals tailored to students who struggle with language. As with every episode, the information provided should be uniquely tailored to every child to meet their skills, areas of improvement, and needs.

Citation for this article:

Celiberti, S. (2024). You got this: Resources to help parents of children with autism navigate the IEP process. Science in Autism Treatment, 21(10).

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