Week 3 OT Fieldwork Students: Types of IEP Meetings

There are many types of IEP meetings, all of which are defined by special education law in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As a fieldwork student, there is a good chance that you will observe and participate in a variety of these meetings over the course of your twelve weeks.

Some of the most common types of IEP meetings are: annual reviews, re-evaluation planning, eligibility meetings, transition meetings, and exit meetings. For purposes of this post, only these meetings will be discussed here.

Annual Review Meeting: Annual review meetings take place once per year (annually) for a student's IEP. On an IEP document, you can usually locate the date of the most recent annual review meeting and therefore estimate the next projected annual review date (it must take place within the year, not after). Annual review meetings serve to update a student's IEP regarding the student's current level of progress and performance in their educational program. Current performance levels, strengths, and barriers to student performance are all included in the IEP as part of the annual review. If a student receives OT services, the occupational therapist will provide their own statements and summaries describing the student's progress, strategies provided by OT, and performance barriers. Adaptive equipment, specific programming, sensory supports, curricular modifications, and specific therapy techniques may all be described by occupational therapists in a student's IEP. New recommendations will be made for frequency of service, new goals and objectives, and any other necessary adjustments that the IEP team feels are necessary at that time based on the student's programming.

Re-evaluation Planning Meeting: According to the law, students who receive special education and related services are eligible for an updated evaluation every three years (Triennial Evaluation). At the re-evaluation planning meeting, the child study team will propose which evaluations they recommend at that point in time for the student and why. These are explained and proposed to the parents of the student, and if the parents agree to move forward with this proposed plan, they sign consent for each evaluation to be done. Typically, evaluations that are proposed include updated psychological, educational, speech, occupational therapy, and physical therapy evaluations. Sometimes, OT may decide, in conjunction with the team, to not re-evaluate at that time. This depends on the continued plan for OT services for that child. However, best practice is to have discipline-specific evaluations updated every three years for children with IEPs, in order to continue to make the best decisions for their academic placement and related services that best fit their individualized needs at that time.

Eligibility Meetings: Eligibility meetings serve to establish, based on recent evaluations, whether or not a student is eligible (or continues to be eligible) for special education. There are initial eligibility meetings, which take place after a student has first been identified to be recommended to undergo evaluation due to academic challenges and problems with school participation, and there are eligibility meetings that take place after the triennial evaluations are completed. During these meetings, the team will hear each discipline review the results of their evaluations that were done on the child. Parents will have already received all of the reports prior to the meeting, giving them time to read over them and prepare questions for the meeting, if needed. Sometimes eligibility meetings will overlap with a student's annual review. Either way, changes to the IEP regarding academics and related services can be made based on discussion, collaboration, and agreement of team members (including parents).

Transition Meetings: Transition meetings typically take place when a student will be experiencing a significant change in placement or grade level, such as a student transitioning into middle school, high school, or leaving high school. The IEP team comes together with the parents of the student (and sometimes the student themselves, if they are old enough) and discusses planning for the next phase of their education. Often, team members (such as case managers, teachers, or therapists) from the projected program setting will attend transition meetings to gain important information about the child, meet the families, and be able to answer questions about the student's next placement.

Exit Meetings: Exit meeting take place when a student's performance has shown that they are not in need of special education services anymore. Typically, exit meetings will take place after a re-evaluation period has been completed. Depending on scores in the educational realm and other areas, a student may not be in need of special education services anymore, and they would be recommended to be part of the general education curriculum. Sometimes, this happens after a student has benefitted from special education services and has closed an achievement gap, placing them within the typical level of peers their own age.

Regardless of the type of IEP meeting, it is important that if OT is part of a student's educational plan, that the therapist is present at these meetings. Sometimes, due to scheduling, therapists may not always be able to attend in person. When this is the case, it is important to make contact with the student's parents to review the OT services and recommendations prior to the meeting, so that they are aware of the information. Whether present in person or connecting with the parents of students at an earlier time, OTs can explain to the team and families of students what they are seeing and how they are helping that child to access their education. Attendance at IEP meetings gives OTs a chance to connect with families, educate families and team members, and take part in collaborative efforts with other professionals to target proper support and services for kids in schools.