School just ended, or is about to.
And before you think about fall, before you think about next year's IEP, before you think about any of it, try this.
Use this prompt with your favorite AI
tool:
Help me reflect on my child's school year. Ask me questions about what worked, what didn't, where my child made progress, where they struggled, and what concerns I still have.
You already know something isn't working. This exercise helps you organize what you've been carrying, the hard parts and the wins, so that you can walk into next year knowing exactly what to ask for more
of, and what needs to change.
You may be able to easily tell me what isn't working.
It could be your child isn't making enough progress. They're being pulled out of class. The goals seem disconnected from what happens during the school day. The same concerns show up year after year.
But it's often harder to pinpoint
why those things keep happening.
One reason may be hiding in plain sight.
Many IEPs are built around what a child can't do. The Present Levels focus on deficits. The needs focus on deficits. The goals focus on deficits. And before long, the IEP becomes about "fixing" your child instead of understanding them as a
learner.
I think of the child who gets pulled out of class every single day, for years, because the IEP keeps identifying the same gaps and writing the same kind of goals to "fix" them.
Nobody stops to ask: what does your child do well, and how do we build from there? So your child keeps leaving the room. And the room keeps moving on without them.
When the IEP starts with deficits, it's harder to create goals that lead to meaningful progress. It's harder to build supports that help your child participate with classmates. And it's harder for teachers to see what your child can actually contribute.
That's why I'm hosting a free event this month.
We're going to look at real IEPs together.
🔵 You'll learn how to find where your child's strengths disappeared in the document.
🟣 How to reframe needs so they build
the case for inclusion. 🟢 And how to walk into that first fall meeting knowing exactly what to ask for so that your child starts the year with am IEP that actually knows them.
Because next year's IEP is already taking shape.
The question is whether it will be built around your child's deficits...
or their
potential.
More details and sign up here 👉 dots.iep.today/join-june
