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Home / Programs & Resources /

Parents Helping Parents

PACER is the Minnesota Parent Training and Information Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs.

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Who Is On My Child’s IEP Team?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) calls for a team of individuals, including parents and school personnel, to work together to develop an Individual Educational Program (IEP) for a child who qualifies for special education services.
 
Because IEP decisions are made by a team rather than by any one individual, it’s important and helpful to understand the role of each member. While each person brings a different set of experiences, concerns, and skills to the table, you can expect that they all share a common goal: enabling the child to succeed in school and in life.

IEP Team Member of the Month:
The Special Education Teacher or Service Provider

The special education teacher is a required IEP team member and plays a central role in IEP planning and program implementation. Special education teachers have received teacher training specific to particular areas of disability and are licensed in one or more special education categories. They have expertise about the disability and its impact on the student’s developmental and educational progress.

Special educators contribute to the IEP team in the following ways:

• Provide current information, research, student assessment, and progress reporting data to guide the team in making IEP decisions.
• Make recommendations about individualized learning strategies, teaching methodology, and effective accommodations in the classroom, home and community.
• Help regular educators adapt their teaching techniques and individualize or modify curriculum in the classroom.
• Locate alternate teaching materials, assistive technology devices, and other needed resources.
• Assist the team in finding ways to include the student in all aspects of the regular school program, including extracurricular activities.
• The special education teacher is often assigned the role of IEP manager. The IEP manager is responsible to coordinate the delivery of special education services and to serve as the primary contact for the parent.