You have been thinking about this meeting for three weeks. You have a list in your head: the homework that takes two hours, the meltdowns after school, the friendship that ended in the fall. You worry that when the room fills up and the school staff begin to talk, you will remember half of it.
A short letter solves two problems at once. It keeps you from forgetting, and it puts your concerns into the record, where the rest of the IEP can respond to them. This guide shows what the rule says about parent concerns and how to write a letter that the team can use.
What the rule says
Section 300.324 requires the IEP team, when it develops an IEP, to consider the child's strengths, the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child, the results of the initial or most recent evaluation, and the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child.
That list is a floor. It tells you that your concerns are not a courtesy item. They are one of the things the team is required to consider. The IEP's present levels section is the natural place for them to show up. See how to read the present levels section.
Some states put a heading on the IEP form, such as "Parental Concerns." The disAbility Law Center of Virginia describes this as a specific part of the present levels in Virginia's form, and advises parents to write out each concern before attending a meeting to draft or revise the IEP. Your state's form may have a similar box or may not.
What concerns can include
According to that same Virginia guide, parental concerns may include:
- areas of need that you believe have not been identified;
- issues you see at home that the school may not see; and
- any other issue you are aware of that may affect your child in the school environment.
Strengths belong too. The team has to consider them, and what works at home often points to what will work at school.
How to write it
Keep it to one page. Use short bullets. Put the most important concern first. Be specific.
| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| "He's struggling with reading" | "Reads about 50 words a minute out loud, and he cannot answer questions about what he read. Homework reading takes over an hour" |
| "She has a hard time with friends" | "Has had no playdate since September. At pick-up she stands alone. She tells me she has no one to sit with at lunch" |
| "Behavior at home is hard" | "Melts down most days between 4:00 and 5:00 after school. Lasts 20 to 30 minutes. Worse on days with a test" |
| "We want more services" | "We would like the team to consider adding 30 minutes a week of speech, and to share the data that would support or not support that" |
Include what helps, too. "A visual schedule on the fridge cut morning battles in half" is information the team can use.
Ask the team to record it
The Virginia guide advises parents to ask the IEP team to add their concerns exactly as written, and, if the team is unwilling, to review any summary the team drafts to be sure every point the parent made is covered. Its purpose, it says, is to document everything the parent believes is important when developing the educational program.
If a school is unwilling to add parental concerns at all, the guide says the school must provide prior written notice, which documents the request and the reason for the denial. See what is prior written notice.
A letter you can adapt
If you bring someone or plan to record, say so in the letter. See bringing a guest or recording an IEP meeting.
Before and after the meeting
- Before: Send the letter at least a few days ahead if you can. Ask the case manager to confirm it was received.
- At the meeting: Bring copies for everyone and refer to it. "Concern number two in my letter is..." keeps the conversation focused.
- After: Read the draft IEP. Are your concerns in it? Are they in your words? If not, write to ask for them to be added.
For more about preparing, see the IEP meeting checklist for parents, and for what to ask in the room, questions to ask at an IEP meeting.
Concerns that connect to the IEP
The most useful concerns are the ones the team can act on. As you write, ask yourself where each concern would land in the IEP.
| If your concern is about | It may lead to |
|---|---|
| A skill your child is not learning | A new or reworded goal, and a baseline for it |
| How hard school feels | Supports or accommodations, discussed in accommodations vs. modifications |
| A need no one has looked at | A request for an evaluation, as in what to include in an evaluation request |
| How often your child gets help | A change in service minutes, with data |
| Safety or health at school | A plan or a staff support written into the IEP |
If a concern does not fit any of these, say it anyway. The team has to consider it, and a concern written down is a concern on the record.
Concerns from your child
If your child is old enough, ask what they want the team to know. A sentence in your child's own words, such as "I can't hear the teacher from the back," can be more persuasive than a paragraph from you. Include it in the letter and note that it is your child's own statement. For older students, the team may invite them to attend the meeting, which is something you can ask about when you receive the notice.
Tone
A concerns letter works best when it is firm and calm. Use "I would like" and "I am worried about." Avoid blame. The goal is to make it easy for a busy team to say yes to something specific. You can be warm and still be clear. If the relationship is strained, keep to facts and dates.
Concerns-letter mix-ups
- Writing three pages. A long letter is hard to copy into an IEP.
- Listing only problems. Include strengths and what works.
- Being vague. Specific examples with dates carry more weight.
- Forgetting to ask for it to be added. A letter that is only read may not be recorded.
- Assuming silence means yes. Check the draft IEP.
Terms are in the glossary.