Parent input form for the IEP

You know your child in ways the school never sees. You see homework at the kitchen table, mornings before school, and how your child talks about the day. A parent input form puts that on paper so the team can use it.

This page has the blank form, a filled-in example, and notes on how the team uses each answer. You can print it straight from your browser. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.

Why your input belongs in the IEP

The law says the IEP team must consider your concerns for improving your child's education when it writes the IEP.^[1] It also says the school must take steps so you can take part in the meeting as a full member of the team.^[2]

Your answers usually show up in two places. The first is the "parent concerns" part of the present levels section. The second is the goals and supports, if the team agrees a concern needs one. To see how present levels work as a whole, read the guide to present levels of performance.

Written input helps for a simple reason. In a busy meeting, it is easy to forget the one thing you meant to say. A form you send ahead of time is already in front of everyone.

The parent input form

Copy these questions onto paper, or print this page and write in the margins. Short answers are fine. A few real examples beat long paragraphs.

Section 1: About your child

• Your child's name, grade and school.
• Who lives at home, and who helps with schoolwork.
• The best way and time to reach you.

Section 2: Strengths and interests

• What is your child good at?
• What does your child love to do, talk about or collect?
• When does your child try hard without being asked?

Section 3: What you see at home

• How long does homework take, and how much help does your child need?
• What does reading, writing or math look like at home?
• How does your child handle mornings, bedtime and changes in plans?
• How does your child get along with brothers, sisters and friends?

Section 4: Your biggest concerns this year

• List your top 3 concerns, most important first.
• For each one, write a recent example: what happened, when, and what you did.

Section 5: What helps and what does not

• What works at home when your child is stuck or upset?
• What has worked at school in past years?
• What has not worked, and why do you think so?

Section 6: Health and changes

• Any new diagnosis, medicine, therapy or hearing or vision change?
• How is sleep and appetite?
• Any big changes at home, such as a move, a new baby or a loss?

Section 7: Hopes for this year and later

• What would you like your child to be able to do by next year's meeting?
• What do you picture for your child after high school?

Section 8: Questions for the team

• What do you want to ask at the meeting?
• Is there anything you want to talk about privately first?

Filled-in example: Marisol, grade 4

This example is made up to show the kind of detail that helps. Your answers will look different.

Section 2, strengths: "Marisol is great with animals and remembers every fact about them. She draws comics for her little brother. She will spend an hour building a Lego set from the picture steps without help."

Section 3, home: "Math homework takes about 45 minutes for a sheet of 10 problems. She knows how to do the first 3 but then asks me what to do on almost every one after that. Reading is better. She reads her animal books for 15 minutes each night on her own."

Section 4, top concern: "Math word problems. Last Tuesday she cried over 4 word problems and said she is 'the dumbest one in math.' She can do the adding and subtracting. She cannot tell which one the problem wants."

Section 5, what helps: "If I draw a quick picture of the problem, she gets it. A timer for 10 minutes then a 2 minute break keeps her going. Yelling or sitting next to her the whole time makes it worse."

Section 6, changes: "She started wearing glasses in August."

Section 7, hopes: "I want her to do her math homework mostly on her own, and to stop calling herself dumb."

Section 8, questions: "Does she ask for help in class? How do you teach word problems, and can I use the same steps at home?"

Look at what makes this useful. Each concern has a real example with numbers: 45 minutes, 10 problems, 15 minutes of reading. The strengths are specific. The "what helps" list gives the team supports to try in class. That is the kind of detail a teacher can match against school data.

Section-by-section notes: what the team looks for

A note on strengths: teams often skip them, and they matter. A strength like "follows picture steps for an hour" can become a support in class. See these student strengths examples to find words for what your child does well.

How to print and share it

1. Print this page from your browser's menu, or copy the questions into an email.
2. Fill it in over a few days. Write down examples as they happen.
3. Send it to the case manager at least one week before the meeting.
4. Ask that it be added to your child's file and summed up in the parent concerns section.
5. Bring a copy to the meeting.

If writing is hard for you, ask the case manager to call you and fill in the form while you talk. You can also ask for the form in your home language or for an interpreter at the meeting.

After the meeting: check the draft

When you get the draft IEP, find the parent concerns section. Your top concerns should be there, in words you recognize. Then look for a goal, a support or a reason for each one. If a concern was left out, you can ask about it in writing.

It helps to know what a clear goal looks like. Our page on understanding IEP goals explains the parts in plain words. To write good questions, use questions to ask at the IEP meeting.

If your child is old enough to have a say, give them the student input survey too. Your view and theirs together give the team a fuller picture. For how teachers turn your words into the IEP, see capturing parent concerns in the IEP.

Where to get free help

Every state has a Parent Training and Information Center that helps families with special education at no cost. They can explain the IEP, help you prepare, and sometimes come to a meeting with you. You can find your state's center through the Center for Parent Information and Resources.^[3]

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• PLAAFP in the IEP glossary
• IEP team in the IEP glossary
• Understanding IEP goals, for parents
• Questions to ask at the IEP meeting

Related guides

• Present levels of performance (PLAAFP): what to include, with examples
• Student input survey for the IEP
• Capturing parent concerns in the IEP
• How to write a PLAAFP, step by step

Sources

1. 34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
2. 34 CFR §300.322: Parent participation, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
3. Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.