Bilingual IEP Meeting Prep for Parents | English and Spanish Handouts

Print-and-send family pages in English and Spanish so an IEP meeting isn't a surprise.

I've worked in education for more than 20 years, and I've sat across the table from a lot of families who walked in nervous and walked out unsure of what just happened. Sometimes that was because the meeting was in their second language. This pack gives them a plan before they get there. Send it home a week ahead and they arrive knowing the steps, with their questions already written down.

Every page has English on the left and Spanish on the right. You print one copy, and the family reads whichever side they're comfortable with. The Spanish uses "usted," "su hijo/a," "preparatoria," and "adaptaciones," the words most US families and districts use. "IEP" stays "IEP."

What's included (12 pages):

• Cover with lines for the student's name and meeting date

• How to use this pack, plus a short note to families

• What happens in the meeting: 8 plain steps and who might be at the table

• Before, during, and after checklists

• 16 questions families can ask, about goals, progress, services, accommodations, and what comes next

• A notes page for the meeting

• Words you may hear: 12 terms, defined in plain words (IEP, goal, service, accommodation, transition, and more)

How I'd use it: Send it with the meeting notice. Point families to the questions pages. At the meeting, ask what they wrote under "my turn." In my experience the adult is the key to a calm room, and a family that walks in prepared helps keep it that way.

Great for: case managers, special education teachers, and IEP teams working with Spanish-speaking families.

Please note: This pack explains how an IEP meeting usually goes, in plain words. It is not legal advice and does not replace the documents your district gives families.

What you download: one printable PDF, 12 pages, US Letter.

Written by Jeremy D. Gooch, a teacher with 20+ years in education.

It also pairs well with the Transition Family Map for ages 14 to 21, also in English and Spanish, from The Transition Cliff shop.