Once a child is referred and determined eligible for special education services, the IEP process begins and this can be overwhelming for schools and parents. Thus, it has been suggested that one strategy could be to support training for skilled facilitators to run IEP meetings. This strategy leads parents and schools to reaching agreement on IEPs and positive solutions, therefore avoiding conflict. As a result, some technical assistance organizations and states have developed examples; however, it is important to keep in mind that not all states have adopted this particular strategy.
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| CADRE's Facilitated IEP Meetings: An Emerging Practice |
This guide reviews the value and use of IEP meeting facilitation as a practice to prevent or minimize potential for conflicts. It presents information about the role of the external facilitator, the benefits of facilitated IEP meetings, and how families can prepare for facilitated IEP meetings. It closes with a "Frequently Asked Questions" section.
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| Delaware Conflict Resolution Program |
This program provides facilitated IEP meeting services in an effort to preserve collaborative relationships between families and schools. Their services are provided in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Education.
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| Minnesota Special Education Mediation Service's Facilitated IEP program, 2004 |
This Q&A document about facilitated IEPs describes the process as administered by the Minnesota Special Education Mediation Service.
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| New Mexico Facilitated IEPs 2006 |
This fact sheet from the New Mexico SEA describes the facilitated IEP process, its benefits, the how-to's, and general guidelines and next steps for participation.
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| Pennsylvania Office for Dispute Resolution, 2006 |
This weblink to the Office for Dispute Resolution provides an overview on IEP facilitation as well as request forms.
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| Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System, 2004 |
The facilitated IEP program, begun in 2004, is administered by the Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System. This weblink provides general information about the process as well as forms for requesting facilitated IEP meetings.
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