As a parent, attending an ARD (IEP) meeting can be an overwhelming experience. The meeting involves a team of professionals who review and discuss your child’s progress, goals, and services for the upcoming year. One way to feel more prepared and in control of the meeting is to create a Parent Agenda which was discussed in my last blog post. A component of the Parent Agenda is a Parent Concerns and Vision Statement.
A Parent Concerns and Vision Statement outlines your goals, concerns, and expectations for your child’s education. It serves as a roadmap for the meeting and ensures that your voice is heard. It also helps you stay focused and organized during the meeting.
Tips on creating a Parent Concerns and Vision Statement:
1. Start by identifying your child’s strengths, weaknesses, and needs. Think about what you want your child to achieve academically, socially, and emotionally.
2. Write down your concerns and questions. Be specific and provide examples. For example, if you are concerned about your child’s reading skills, write down specific questions about the reading program, interventions, and progress monitoring.
3. Consider your child’s accommodations and services. Write down what is working and what is not. Be clear about what additional services or accommodations you would like to see.
4. Think about your role as a parent. Write down how you can support your child’s education and what you expect from the school.
5. Use positive language and focus on your child’s strengths. Your Parent Concerns and Vision Statement should be a collaborative statement that highlights your child’s potential and goals.
Three examples of a Parent Concerns and Vision Statement:
Example 1:
Dear ARD Committee,
I am excited to participate in my child’s ARD meeting. I want to work with you to ensure that my child receives the best education possible. Here are some of my goals, concerns, and expectations for the meeting:
1. Strengths, Weaknesses, and Needs: My child is a creative and curious learner who enjoys hands-on activities. However, my child struggles with reading comprehension and written expression. I would like to discuss ways to support my child’s reading and writing skills.
2. Concerns and Questions: I am concerned about my child’s progress in reading and writing. Can you provide more information about the reading program and interventions? How can I support my child’s writing skills at home?
3. Accommodations and Services: My child benefits from small group instruction and visual aids. However, I would like to discuss additional accommodations, such as extended time on tests and assignments.
4. Parental Role: I am committed to supporting my child’s education. I would like to receive regular updates on my child’s progress and collaborate with the school to address any concerns.
Thank you for your time and dedication to my child’s education. I look forward to working with you to create a successful IEP.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Example 2:
We envision Johnny in a typical inclusive environment with support throughout the next five years. We hope that by the time he turns 13 years old, he will have developed interests and have a couple of friends that he plays with regularly.
Our goal is for Johnny to become more self-sufficient during unstructured times, such as recess and lunch, as well as in the classroom. We want him to be able to develop more peer relationships without adult facilitation. Also, for him to develop a better understanding of nonverbal communicators and expand his social language abilities in all settings. We hope that he continues to participate in team sports.
In addition, we would like to see Johnny pursue an interest he is passionate about and skilled at, such as music or writing, to boost his self-esteem.
Johnny continues to struggle with remaining on task as documented on page 20 by Ms. LSSP in the Full and Individual Evaluation dated April 1, 2024. She recommends that Johnny receive support through a behavior goal and through OT services. We would like to request a behavior goal and OT services to address this need.
Johnny spends several hours a night working on his assignments. By this time his ADHD medication has worn off and he spends a great of deal time being off task. Johnny needs time to be a child and he is unable to do so. We have attached a Homework Log for your review so that you can see how much time he spends each night on his assignments.
Lastly, Johnny did not master two of his goals last year and we would like to discuss how we as a committee are going to address these goals. We need to discuss additional supports and services required to ensure Johnny masters his goals this year.
Example 3:
We have the following concerns:
- Communication:
- We would like to see Jane saying more words and sounds. We want to make sure that Jane can generalize what she is learning in the speech therapist’s room across multiple environments. We would like to see Jane practicing what she has learned with the speech therapist throughout the school day. We would like for all personnel working with her to use the same type of instruction, prompting, and modeling that the speech therapist does to help facilitate the generalization of skills. We would like to see push-in and consultation speech therapy minutes added to Jane’s schedule of services.
- We would like to see Jane learn how to use assistive technology and/or augmentative communication devices to help with these communication skills. We consent to any necessary assessments for these services.
- Socialization: We would like to see Jane interacting with her same-age peers not just participating in parallel play.
- Classroom Setting: Our goal is for Jane to remain general education classroom as much as possible. We believe that being around non-disabled peers of the same age will help her learn both academically and socially through modeling.
Remember, your Parent Concerns and Vision Statement should reflect your child’s unique needs and goals. Creating a Parent Concerns and Vision Statement can help you advocate for your child and tailor their education to their needs.
This post is intended to give you a general idea about special education and preparing for ARD meetings. Samantha Davis cannot predict the outcome of any meetings, including ARD (IEP) meetings that are held for your child. Special education eligibility and/or services that may be offered to your child are based on the decision of the ARD (IEP) committee as a whole.
