- This is the meeting where the team reviews evaluations
- Parents are part of the decision-making team
- This is where eligibility is determined
- Google meet (paid verison) allows recording
- Loom
- otter.ai
Parent Concerns are a section of the IEP where your thoughts, worries, and priorities about your child are documented.
This may include:
- Academic concerns
- Behavior or social-emotional concerns
- Communication or developmental concerns
- Anything you feel is impacting your child at school
This section becomes part of the official IEP document.
You can write out your Parent Concerns before the PPT meeting and send them to the team ahead of time.
This helps:
- Ensure your concerns are clearly included
- Give the team time to review them
- Reduce pressure during the meeting
- You can email your concerns to the PPT team and ask that they be included in the IEP.
- ⚠️ If it’s not written in the IEP, it’s much harder to hold the school accountable.
- You can request a PPT meeting at any time, especially if you notice concerns.
- You can also request a date and time that works for you. Schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to schedule meetings at a mutually agreed-upon time.
Save documents, create a Google Drive folder, and keep a simple timeline. This can be especially helpful if you work with a special education advocate.
They can help ask questions, take notes, and support you during the meeting.
- PPT meetings are meant to be collaborative and supportive. However, at times they can feel tense, especially when there are differing perspectives or limited resources.
- Services are not typically provided based on a request alone—you may need to share clear concerns and supporting information.
- It’s important to listen carefully and ask questions if something is unclear or doesn’t feel accurate.
- You know your child best—trust your instincts and feel confident sharing your perspective.
- You are not alone in this process. The Danbury Families Special Education Network is here to support you.
- If the meeting feels confusing or overwhelming at times, that is a common experience for many families.
- You can request edits to the IEP after the meeting, especially if changes were discussed but not fully reflected in the document. You can also follow up with the team if something needs clarification.
If there wasn’t enough time to fully address your concerns, you can request another PPT meeting.
- “Can you explain that in a different way?”
- “Can we take a moment to review that?”
- “I’d like that noted in the meeting notes.”
- “I’m not sure I agree—can we look at the data together?”
- “Can you show me where that is in the evaluation?”
- “I need some time to think about this before making a decision.”
- “What are the options if we don’t agree?”
- “Can we follow up on this after the meeting?”
It’s okay to pause, ask questions, and take your time. You do not have to decide everything in the moment.
- “They’re doing fine.” → This may mean your child is meeting minimum expectations, but still struggling in ways not fully captured.
- “Let’s wait and see.” → The team may want more time or data. You can ask what specific data they’re looking for and set a follow-up timeline.
- “They don’t qualify.” → This means the team did not find eligibility based on current criteria—not necessarily that your child doesn’t need support.
- “We don’t see that at school.” → Your child may present differently in different settings. Sharing examples from home or outside providers can help.
- “They’re making progress.” → Ask: What kind of progress? Is it enough to meet expectations?
- “We can try general education supports first.” → This may be a step before special education. You can ask how progress will be monitored and when it will be reviewed.
It’s okay to ask follow-up questions and request clarification. You are part of the team.
After the meeting, the school will finalize and send you the IEP (or a summary of decisions).
- Take time to review the document carefully
- Make sure it reflects what was discussed during the meeting
- Check that your Parent Concerns are included
You do not have to rush—take the time you need to review.
If something is missing, unclear, or doesn’t feel accurate:
- You can email the team to request edits or clarification
- You can reference what was discussed during the meeting
If there wasn’t enough time to go over your concerns, or new concerns come up:
- You can request another PPT meeting at any time
Continue saving:
- Emails
- Evaluations
- IEP documents
💡 Keeping everything organized (Google Drive folder + simple timeline) can be very helpful over time—especially if you work with a special education advocate.
- You are part of the team. It’s okay to ask questions, take your time, and follow up.