Facilitated IEPT Meetings Gain Attention, Use

In 2005, the first national symposium on facilitating Individualized Education Planning Team (IEPT) meetings was held in Oregon, sponsored by the Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE). It brought together educators, facilitators and trainers to talk about a promising way of avoiding special education disputes or resolving them early.

IEP facilitation refers to the use of a neutral person to aid communication during an IEPT meeting. It is useful when there is discomfort or lack of trust between the parties. It is also useful in keeping a meeting within its allotted time.

A facilitator’s role depends on what the parties want the facilitator to do. This may include ensuring that all participants have a chance to speak or simply monitoring the clock. The parties and the facilitator can discuss the facilitator’s role before a meeting to define expectations and avoid misunderstandings during the meeting.

The Michigan Special Education Mediation Program (MSEMP) has offered IEP and IFSP facilitation since 1997. It has facilitated 74 IEP meetings. Eighty–three percent resulted in implemented IEPs.

MSEMP facilitators are available when the parties voluntarily and mutually agree to use their assistance. They are not advocates or decisionmakers. Rather, they are trained to unobtrusively help the IEPT get its work done collaboratively and successfully.