An Intentionally Inviting Individualized Educational Program Meeting: It can happen!

Anyone who has attended an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting for a student with special needs knows that this gathering of individuals has the potential to be extremely contentious and adversarial if not handled effectively. Often parents become overwhelmed by terminology that is foreign to them and may feel as though the only comments they hear about their child’s educational experiences are negative. By contrast, teachers and service providers too often approach these meetings as a fait accompli, whereby a plan for services and placement decision has been pre-determined, which is in sharp contrast to the mandated approach requiring the meeting to be a work in progress, developed by a team effort, and valuing the parents as active team members. Invitational Education theory encourages a more dependable stance. This article describes the benefits of applying Invitational Education theory to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting