IEP Team Maneuvers: Avoid Becoming Intimidated

1. "That's against school district policy."
2. "We do not have anyone on staff trained to provide that service."
3. "We are not obligated to discuss teaching methodologies at IEP meetings, nor willwe stipulate them in lEPs."
4. "We will not provide your child with in-class support because he will become dependent."
5. "We do not offer in-class support in 'honors' classes. If she requires in-class support, she does notbelong there."
6. "We cannot provide ESY services for your child because he is too high-functioning for ourin-district ESY program."
7. "Only children who are severely mentally retarded or profoundly autistic are eligible for ESY services."
8. "Your child is ineligible to receive ESY services based upon the regression/recoupme
8. "Your chi9. "Your child has made SO much progress that he/she will not require ________ next year."
10. "We are not authorized to make that decision. We'll have to adjourn this meeting until wecan confer with the Director of Special Services."
11. "We cannot provide those services under Section 504."
12. "Have you considered increasing the dosage on his medication? Maybe he'd do better on Concerta."
13. "Your child's behavior/learning issues/ social issues are occurring as a result of - your divorce, the factthat both parents are working outside of the home, cultural differences or something else that the familyis or is not doing at home."
14. "If you disagree with our proposal, go to due process."
15. "We are not obligated to create academic goals and objectives for your child because he isincluded in general education classes for those periods."
16. "Your child has not acquired the prerequisite skills necessary to be included in thegeneral education classroom."17. "Holding the Eligibility Determination/
17. "Holding the Eligibility Determination/IEPexpedite the process."
18. "Your child would do so much better if he'd just — pay attention, follow directions, cooperate more, tryharder, hand in his homework on time, have a more positive attitude & stop being so lazy."
19. "This is the ONLY placement option for your child."
20. "Sending your child to an out-of-district special education school, places him in a morerestrictive environment.r
21. "Your child isn't failing, so what are you complaining about?"
22. "We couldn't possibly provide such an expensive service."
23. "You're not allowed to audio-record IEP meetings."
24. "The Team is too busy; call us back in a month or so to schedule an IEP meeting. We'lladdress your concerns at that time."
25. "That does not need to be stipulated in the IEP because we do it automatically.
26. "You'll just have to wait until we hire a new Speech Therapist."
27. "Prior Written Notice? What does that mean?"
28. "We cannot allow you to observe the proposed placement options due to confidentiality issues."
29. "There's no need to have an FBA conducted. I can create a sticker chart."
30. "If you are unable to attend on the date listed on the meeting notice, we will hold the IEP meetingwithout you."
31. "Medical issues are not educationally relevant."
32. "Your child's behaviors are not a manifestation of his disability because he is classified under the SLDcategory."
33. "If she's finding the homework to be too challenging, just tell her that she's no longer required to doit."
34. "You must choose from OUR list of independent evaluators."
35. "There is nothing we can do about his social issues during lunch & recess."
36. "We only offer social skills groups one period per month - we couldn't possibly provide moreservices for your son."
37. "Due to the high property taxes in our district, we can no longer place students in out-of-districtprograms."
38. "If you're going to audio-record this meeting, we're going to have to adjourn until our attorney can bepresent."
39. "You are required to notify us in advance of all parties you intend to bring to your IEP meeting."
40. "This is the only date we are available to meet. If it doesn't fit into your schedule, you'll have to waituntil next month for another meeting."
41. "We do not have to write goals and objectives for your child's counseling or social skillssessions."
42. "Your child was placed in our Life Skills program because he is autistic. That's where all of theautistic children his age are placed."
43. "Your child can no longer receive pull-out replacement services because our district haschanged to an in-class support model."
44. "We don't have time to hold a meeting. I'll just send you the IEP in the mail for your signature."
45. "You cannot leave the meeting until you've signed all the paperwork."
46. "We will not grant your request for independent evaluations.
47. "Your child cannot participate in the field trip unless you accompany him."
48. "Don't worry; you'll get copies of the evaluation reports at the meeting."
49. "If we reevaluate your child he may no longer qualify for services. Isn't it better to just leave wellenough alone?"
50. "We met beforehand and decided that he no longer requires ."•
51. "We don't see those behaviors in the classroom."52. "We do not conduct O.T. or P.T. evaluations on preschool children - we wait to see how they doonce they are placed in the program."5
53. "We do not conduct FBAs on preschool children — instead we use a Rifton chair to manage theirbehaviors."
54. "Don't bother bringing in cupcakes for his mainstream period; the students in that class don't evenreally know him."
55. "We've allowed thirty minutes for this meeting. Please do not interrupt our teachers with yourquestions and comments or we won't be able to complete the IEP."
56. "If you bring an advocate to your meeting, our attorney must be present."
57. "Your child's social issues have had no educational impact — his grades are excellent. Since theseissues are not educationally relevant, we do not have to address them at school."
58. "We're using an 'eclectic' reading program - our teachers pull from a variety of sources."
59. "Please come pick up your child — his behaviors are out of control."
60. "If she can't learn to control herself, we'll have to shorten her school day."
61. "504 accommodations apply only to students with physical disabilities.
62. "Your child cannot participate in the musical performance because he has an individual aideassigned to him."
63. "If your child is classified under the Emotionally Disturbed (ED) category, he must be placed in ourself-contained ED class."
64. "Don't be concerned about what's placed in writing today, the IEP is a fluid document and can be changedat ANY time."
65. "By law, we are only required to provide 10 hours of home instruction.