Sample Letters: Requesting a Meeting to Review the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

If your child is receiving special education services, he or she must have a written plan known as an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP lists, among other things, annual goals and objectives for your child and the special education services that he or she will receive. You are a member of the team that writes your child’s IEP. As an IEP team member, you can ask that your child’s IEP be reviewed and revised, if needed. This part of the Parent’s Guide looks at writing a letter to request that your child’s IEP be reviewed.

Why might I ask for a review of my child’s IEP?

Some reasons for requesting an IEP review include:

• Your child has met one, or several, of the goals written in the IEP.
• Your child does not seem to be making enough progress toward one, or several, of the goals written in IEP.
• You feel your child needs more services or other services in order to make progress.
• You feel that your child no longer needs a service he or she is currently receiving.
• Your child has experienced a major change, such as illness, injury, or surgery.

(For more information about review of the IEP, please see Question #20 in NICHCY’s publication called Questions and Answers about IDEA.)

Sample Letter 5: Requesting an IEP Review

Today’s Date (include month, day, and year)

Your Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Daytime telephone number

Name of Your Child’s Special Education Teacher
Name of School
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear (Teacher’s name),

I am writing to request an IEP review meeting. I would like to discuss making some possible changes in (child’s name)’s IEP. I am concerned about (state your reasons, but don’t go into detail about the specific changes you want to make—save those for the meeting).

I would also like to have (names of specialists or other staff) attend. I think his/her/their ideas about the changes we may need to make will be valuable.

I can arrange to meet with you and the other members of the IEP team on (days) between (give a range of time, such as between 2:00 and 4:00). Please let me know what time would be best for you.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. My daytime telephone number is (give your phone number). Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

Your name

cc: specialists or other staff

This information is copyright free.

Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY). NICHCY Parent Guides are published in response to questions from individuals and organizations that contact us. We encourage you to share your ideas and feedback with us!

Publication of this document is made possible through a Cooperative Agreement between the Academy for Educational Development and the Office of Special Education Programs of the U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

NICHCY
P.O. Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013
v/tty: (800) 695-0285
Fax: (202) 884-8441
e-mail: [email protected]
web: www.nichcy.org