Meeting with the school to plan your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) can be intimidating. This is true for any parent or guardian. But you may feel an extra layer of unease if you’re the only Black or brown person in the room.  

Listen to this episode of The Opportunity Gap to get IEP meeting tips for parents of kids of color. Learn from Taína Coleman, a mom of two and an education specialist at the Child Mind Institute. See how she uses her experience in special education to explain:  

• Which documents you have the right to see before the meeting
• How to ask if the IEP’s annual goals are aiming high enough
• What to do if you don’t feel ready to sign the IEP

Visit the episode page for a transcript and links to helpful resources.  

We’d love to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected].   

• How to tell if your child’s IEP goals are SMART (Explainer with lots of examples)
• IEP goal tracker (Printable worksheet)
• 10 tips for a better IEP meeting (Video)
• How to organize your child’s IEP binder (Includes video and printable checklist)

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give