What to Ask at Your Child's IEP Meeting in Illinois
The meeting notice came home, and now there is a date on the calendar and a stack of reports on the way. Most parents walk into their child's IEP meeting outnumbered by school staff, fuzzy on the acronyms, and unsure what they are allowed to ask.
You are allowed to ask a lot. Federal law makes you a member of the IEP team, not a guest. The questions below cover what most guides skip, including the therapy side of an IEP and a few Illinois rules that work in your favor.
Before the Meeting
Preparing for an IEP Meeting in Illinois
In Illinois, the school has to give you copies of the written materials the team will review at least 3 school days before the meeting. That usually means evaluation reports and often a draft IEP. If your child is turning 3 and leaving Early Intervention, this may be your first time seeing one.
Questions to ask ahead of time:
Can I get the draft IEP and all reports before the meeting?
Who will be there, and what is each person's role with my child?
Can we set an agenda so therapy services are not squeezed into the last five minutes?
Put Your Concerns in Writing
Every IEP has a section for parent input. Send a short list of concerns to the case manager before the meeting so they are part of the record, not just something mentioned in passing.
Keep it concrete. "He can't open his lunch containers without help" does more work than "fine motor concerns."
Questions About the Goals
Are These IEP Goals Measurable?
A good goal says what your child will do, how well, and how it will be measured. "Will improve handwriting" is vague. "Will copy a five-word sentence with correct letter sizing in 4 out of 5 tries" is something you can actually track.
How will you measure progress on this goal, and how often?
How and when will I get progress updates?
What happens if the updates show my child is not moving forward?
Does This Match What I See at Home?
You see things the school does not. If the IEP says transitions are going well but mornings at home fall apart, say so. Neither picture is wrong, and both belong in the room.
Questions About Therapy Services
This is the part most IEP guides skip. Speech, occupational, and physical therapy at school are called related services, and the details matter as much as the yes or no.
How Much Therapy, and What Kind?
Service time can be written many different ways. Ask:
How many minutes, and how often? Per week or per month?
Individual or group? If group, how many kids?
Pull-out, in a therapy room, or push-in, inside the classroom?
Who writes the therapy goals, and can I talk to that therapist directly?
"60 minutes a month" and "30 minutes twice a week" can look similar on paper and feel very different in practice.
Speech Therapy in an IEP
School-based therapy is tied to what your child needs to take part in school, so it can look different from therapy at a clinic. That is a difference in focus, not a red flag. Our post on school therapy vs. outpatient therapy explains how the two fit together, and what is pediatric speech therapy covers what sessions usually target.
IEP Related Services and Service Logs
Illinois requires schools to make related service logs available to parents at IEP meetings and on request. The logs show whether sessions actually happened.
If services in the IEP are not started within 10 school days of when they were supposed to begin, the district has to notify you in writing within 3 school days. That notice also has to tell you that you can ask for compensatory services, meaning make-up time.
Questions About Support in the Classroom
What Will These IEP Accommodations Look Like?
Accommodations change how your child learns or shows what they know without changing what they are expected to learn. Common examples are extra time on tests, a slant board for writing, movement breaks, and seating near the teacher.
Who makes sure this happens, including in art, gym, and at lunch?
Has this been tried before, and what happened?
How will we know if it is working?
If writing is a big part of the conversation, our post on handwriting struggles in kids can help you describe what you are seeing.
Bringing Outside Therapy Into the Meeting
If your child sees a therapist outside of school, you can share that information with the team. Ask the therapist ahead of time for a written summary of current goals and progress, and bring copies. You can also invite anyone who knows your child well.
You Do Not Have to Decide Everything in the Room
Take the Draft Home
You can ask to review the final IEP before agreeing to changes. You can also ask who to contact with follow-up questions. In Illinois, parents can request an IEP meeting at any time, so this meeting is not your only chance.
Getting Ready for Your Child's IEP Meeting
Pick Your Top Questions
You do not need to ask everything on this list. Bring your written concerns, the reports, and five or six questions. The ones about therapy minutes and how progress is measured tend to do the most work.
An Outside Perspective
If you have questions about your child's speech, motor skills, or daily routines, Midwest Children's Therapy in East Peoria sees kids from birth to 18. Call us at (309) 282-6704 or reach out through our contact page.
