15 questions to ask at your child’s IEP meeting

Last reviewed September 6, 2026. Federal rules cited from the IDEA regulations at 34 CFR Part 300. Educational information, not legal advice.

QUICK ANSWER

Quick answer: the most useful questions at an IEP meeting ask for data, for specifics, and for things in writing. Ask what data supports each goal, how progress will be measured and reported, who is responsible for each service and by when, whether the placement is the least restrictive environment, and whether the team can add its answers to the IEP today. Federal rules require most of these answers to exist, because an IEP must contain measurable goals, a description of how progress is measured, and the frequency, location, and duration of services (34 CFR 300.320).

Below are the 15 questions, grouped by when to ask them, with the reason each one matters and the regulation behind it. You are entitled to bring this list, and anyone else with knowledge about your child, into the room (34 CFR 300.321(a)(6)).

Before the meeting: three questions to ask in writing

1. Can I have copies of the evaluation reports and the draft IEP before the meeting?

Reading the reports in the room, for the first time, puts you at a disadvantage. You are entitled to a copy of the evaluation report at no cost (34 CFR 300.306(a)(2)) and to inspect your child’s records before any IEP meeting (34 CFR 300.613(a)). Ask for drafts too; many teams share them if asked.

2. Who will attend, and does someone there have the authority to commit district resources?

The district’s representative on the team must be qualified to provide or supervise special education and knowledgeable about the availability of district resources (34 CFR 300.321(a)(4)). If nobody in the room can say yes to a service, decisions get deferred. Ask in advance.

3. Is this time and place workable for me, and can we schedule enough time?

Districts must schedule the meeting at a mutually agreed time and place and notify you early enough to attend (34 CFR 300.322(a)). If you need an interpreter, ask for one now; the district must take steps to ensure you understand the proceedings (34 CFR 300.322(e)).

During the meeting: nine questions that shape the IEP

4. What data supports this present level, and what is the baseline?

Every goal is measured against the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (34 CFR 300.320(a)(1)). If the baseline is vague, the goal cannot be measured. Ask for the numbers.

5. How will progress on this goal be measured, and how often will I get a report?

The IEP must describe how progress toward each annual goal will be measured and when periodic reports will be provided (34 CFR 300.320(a)(3)). Ask for the method and the schedule, and ask that both be written in.

6. Is this an accommodation or a modification, and what does it change?

Accommodations change how a child learns or is tested; modifications change what the child is expected to learn. Modifications can affect assessments and diplomas, so ask the team to say which is which and to record it in the IEP (34 CFR 300.320(a)(6)).

7. What services will be provided, how often, for how long, where, and by whom?

An IEP must state the projected start date and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of services and modifications (34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)). “Speech as needed” is not a service description. Ask for minutes per week, the setting, and the provider’s role.

8. Why is this the least restrictive environment for my child?

The team must explain the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children (34 CFR 300.320(a)(5)), and removal from regular classes is allowed only when education there cannot be achieved satisfactorily with supplementary aids and services (34 CFR 300.114). Ask what supports were considered first.

9. Does my child need services over the summer?

Extended school year services must be considered individually and provided when necessary for a free appropriate public education, and a district may not limit them to certain disabilities or cap them by policy (34 CFR 300.106). Ask what regression data the team is using.

10. Who is responsible for each part of this plan, and by when?

Names and dates turn a document into a plan. The IEP must state when services begin (34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)); asking who owns each piece makes follow-through possible and gives you something concrete to check.

11. Can we add that to the IEP, in writing, today?

Promises made in the meeting are only enforceable if they are in the document. Whenever the team agrees to something, ask for it to be written into the IEP before the meeting ends, and read the final wording.

12. What are my child’s strengths, and how does the plan use them?

The team must consider the strengths of the child and the concerns of the parents when developing the IEP (34 CFR 300.324(a)(1)). This question also sets the tone: it tells the team you are there to build a plan, not to litigate one.

After the meeting: three questions that protect the record

13. When will I receive the final IEP and the prior written notice?

The district must give you a copy of the IEP at no cost (34 CFR 300.322(f)) and must provide prior written notice a reasonable time before it implements a proposed change or refuses a request (34 CFR 300.503). Ask for a date.

14. If I do not agree with part of this, what are my options?

You can ask for mediation, file a state complaint, or request a due process hearing (34 CFR 300.506, 300.151, 300.507). You can also accept parts of the IEP while disputing others in many states; ask the team to explain the process in writing and check your procedural safeguards notice.

15. May I take the document home before I sign anything?

Consent is required before the initial provision of special education services (34 CFR 300.300(b)), and you are not required to decide in the room. Taking the document home to read it is a reasonable request, and a well-run team will expect it.

How to use these questions without turning the meeting into a fight

Bring the list on paper, in the order above, and check questions off as they are answered. Ask them the way you would ask a pediatrician: curious, specific, and calm. Write down the answers, including the name of the person who gave each one. If the answer is “we will get back to you,” ask for a date and write that down too. Teams remember prepared parents, and preparation is what these questions signal.

Common questions about IEP meetings

Can I bring someone with me to the IEP meeting?

Yes. Parents may invite anyone with knowledge or special expertise about the child, including an advocate, a therapist, a relative, or a friend who takes notes (34 CFR 300.321(a)(6)). Telling the school in advance who is coming is courteous and avoids surprises.

Can I record the IEP meeting?

Federal special education rules do not address recording. Rules vary by state and by district policy, and some states treat a recording as an education record. Ask the district in writing before the meeting what its policy is, and check your state’s rules.

What if I cannot attend on the date the school picks?

The meeting must be scheduled at a mutually agreed time and place, and the district must document its attempts to arrange a time you can attend (34 CFR 300.322(a) and (d)). Propose alternatives in writing, including a video or phone meeting, which the district may use if you agree (34 CFR 300.328).