Active parental involvement in the IEP process is strongly emphasized in IDEA. The underlying assumption of this expectation is that when parents are actively involved in making decisions regarding special education services and placement, their children benefit. However, according to Kalyanpur and Harry (1999), this belief is reflective of a culture that values individualism, equality, and the need to exercise one's rights. These values are not always shared by families from other cultures, and the complicated IEP process is foreign to many immigrant families. These barriers, together with linguistic challenges, can prevent culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families from fulfilling their expected roles in the IEP process. Educators and service providers should be prepared to demystify the process for this growing population. This article includes the very different experiences of two parents when they went through the IEP process which help to identify best practices for professionals in working with CLD parents. (p.14)
The article offers recommendations for practice concerning background preparation (prior to convening the IEP meeting); welcoming parents, interpretation services and cross-cultural communication (during the meeting); and meeting summaries, and translated IEPs (after the meeting).
A checklist is thoughtfully provided, as well:
"Figure 1. Checklist to Demystify the IEP Process for CLD Parents of Children With Disabilities
Before the IEP Meeting
* Meet and explain to parents the timeline, their rights, what is involved in the IEP process, and how they can participate.
* Provide parents with information on relevant community resources.
* Offer parents opportunities to connect with other parents of children with disabilities.
* Include, in the meeting notice, options for meeting dates and times, who will be attending, how long the meeting will last, and available interpretation services.
* Send parents a draft meeting agenda and invite them to add items to the agenda.
* Provide documents in parents' primary language and that match their educational level.
* Provide parents with directions to school.
* Meet with interpreter at least 30 minutes prior to the meeting to provide a glossary of relevant terms and acronyms and to discuss how often the professionals should pause for converting oral messages. Generally, professionals should pause every 2 or 3 sentences. Relay this information to the other team members.
The Day of the IEP Meeting
* Have one of the IEP team members escort parents to meeting room. It is best that this professional is someone the parents feel comfortable with and have met before. If the welcoming professional does not speak the parents' native language, have the interpreter also greet and escort the parents.
* Have team members introduce themselves and state their roles in the meeting.
* Ask parents open-ended questions to ensure that they understand the meeting discussions.
* Pay attention to parents' verbal and nonverbal cues.
* Invite parents to ask questions and offer feedback.
After the IEP Meeting
* Provide a written meeting summary and invite parents to call, e-mail, or meet if they have questions.
* Inform parents what will happen after the IEP meeting, such as when they will receive a copy of the proposed IEP and what their rights are if they disagree with the IEP.
* Have the translated IEP available to parents in a timely manner."