I've Sat at the IEP Table Too: A Parent’s Perspective

I've Been Where You Are
A note from one parent to another

As a parent, I’ve sat at the IEP table with that familiar knot in my stomach — worried that my child’s needs wouldn’t be met, unsure if the team would truly see what I was seeing at home and in the classroom.

I’ve been through meeting after meeting trying to get the school team to understand, using every strategy I’ve learned as both a special education teacher and an advocate. I’ve done the prep work, brought the documentation, tried to find the words that would land. And sometimes? It was still hard. Really hard.

But I’ve also had the gift of sitting at tables with teams that listened. Teams where everyone’s voice — including mine — was honored. Where plans weren’t just written down, but actually worked. And where my child was understood not just for their needs, but for their strengths.

Thankfully, those collaborative experiences have been more common than not. And while that doesn’t erase the hard moments, it does remind me what’s possible.

Because nothing compares to the exhale you feel when your child makes it through the school day and actually engages. When they come home and they’re not defeated. When you can finally breathe.

That’s what I want for you, too.

Whether you’ve been walking this road for years or you’re just now stepping into it, I hope you know this: you're not alone — and it doesn’t always have to feel like a fight.

Always Walking With You…..Abbey