How I Prepared for My Son's IEP Meeting

I walked into my son's IEP meeting prepared this time, and it paid off. If you've ever sat in an IEP meeting and thought of everything you should have said after it was over, this one's for you. I'm sharing how I prepared a month ahead, why I wrote my requests in a letter before the meeting, and how a 45-minute meeting turned into two hours of real negotiating. I didn't get exactly what I asked for, but I got what mattered. 📝 What worked for me: Find an advocate who knows your child or the process Write your requests in a letter and send it before the meeting Show how each request builds on your child's current IEP Ask for a start date, not just a "we'll process it" Send follow-up and thank-you emails afterward, so the school knows you're showing up This is my experience as a Texas parent. Rules and options vary by state and district, so check what applies to you. 💬 Tell me in the comments: has writing things down ever helped you walk into a hard conversation prepared? ⏱ Chapters 0:00 An effective communication day 0:41 The meeting I prepared a month for 1:11 What an IEP meeting is 1:53 How I used to walk in unprepared 3:08 Life after 18 in Texas 5:08 Finding an advocate 5:41 Writing my requests in a letter 6:32 Using AI as a research tool 7:09 A 45-minute meeting that took 2 hours 7:42 A big W for me and my son 8:13 Why follow-up matters 8:41 Writing it down still works 10:56 Your turn 🧵 Threads: @jyquesea #IEP #IEPmeeting #specialneedsmom #caregiver #advocacy