Are you holding an IEP meeting for a student whose parents or guardians don't speak English? Here are tips to help it run smoothly.

<h2>Tips for Including Non-English-Speaking Parents in IEP Meetings</h2><p><strong><em>Imagine this - </em></strong>You're living and working in a country where you don't speak the language – let's say Japan, Brazil, or India. It's been challenging to fit in, but bit by bit, you've started to settle into the new culture. Although you've picked up a few words here and there, you can't yet carry on a conversation. It's pretty hard to understand native speakers, especially when they're talking at top speed.</p><p>Your child, who has a learning disability, attends school in this country. You've been desperately trying to help them with schoolwork in a language you don't speak – to no avail. Now, it's time to meet with your child's special education support team to discuss their progress and goals. Of course, you have great insight into what could help your child. You also want an in-depth understanding of how it's been going and how the educational team plans to help. Plus, you want to be able to participate fully in the meeting in real-time.</p><p>How are you feeling? Are you anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed, or intimidated? What might put you at ease? What could your child's team do before, during and after the meeting to help you understand the laws, procedures and processes?</p><p><strong><em>Now flip the scene - </em></strong>you're on the IEP team. Your student's parents don't speak English. How will you help?</p><h2>The Rights of Non-English-Speaking Parents</h2><p>First, fully including non-English-speaking parents in IEP meetings isn't just the right thing to do – it's also the law. Check with your administrators and follow all district, state, and federal rules, regulations and procedures.</p><p>The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (USDOJ) and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (USDOE) have outlined the rights of parents and guardians whose primary language isn't English. Before making a plan for how to include non-native speakers in IEP meetings, take some time to read through this USDOJ/USDOE fact sheet: <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-factsheet-lep-parents-201501.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Information for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Parents and Guardians and for Schools and School Districts that Communicate with Them</a></p><p>In summary, schools must:</p><ul><li>Take measures to identify limited English-proficient parents and their needs (via translated home language survey, etc.)</li><li>Provide information (including special education and related services as well as meetings to discuss special education) to limited English-proficient parents in a language they can understand</li><li>Provide language assistance and translated materials even if the child is proficient in English, but the parent is not</li><li>Provide free translation from appropriate and competent individuals skilled in translating the terminology used in IEP meetings (rather than relying on students, untrained staff, etc.)</li></ul><h2>Resources and Tips for Including Non-English-Speaking Parents in IEPs</h2><p>Here are our favorite resources with steps you can take as an educator to help ensure parents and guardians who don't speak English are informed and feel secure and confident in the IEP process:</p><h3><a href="http://www.ascd.org/el/articles/supporting-latinx-families-in-special-education-decisions" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>ASCD – Supporting Latinx Families in Special Education Decisions</strong></a></h3><p>This article from ASCD addresses how teachers can support Latinx families, but it can apply to any family from another country. To best support parents who don’t speak English, educators can:</p><ul><li>Build trust by showing families empathy, respect and freedom from judgment</li><li>Understand that parental roles and responsibilities regarding education differ across cultures</li><li>Remember that words like "education" and "disability" have varying cultural connotations</li><li>Ask parents about their preferences regarding communication</li><li>Ensure parents understand what they are signing, re IEP evaluation consent</li><li>Talk with parents beforehand to explain what the meeting will be about and their rights to ask questions, speak up and schedule meeting extensions</li><li>Remember that parents may be hesitant to sign paperwork for fears of deportation or experiences with detention centers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement</li><li>Work to change unfair policies</li><li>Examine and confront inequities, including personal and professional biases</li><li>Shift the definitions and perception of "normalcy"</li><li>Take an asset-minded approach, valuing and recognizing the strengths of diversity</li><li>Advocate for professional development in working with diverse families</li></ul><h3><a href="https://www.parentcenterhub.org/tools-for-spanish-speaking-parents/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>CPIR – Tools That Empower Spanish-Speaking Parents</strong></a></h3><p>The Center for Parent Information &amp; Resources, funded by the USDOE and designed for families of children with disabilities, offers several online tools to help Spanish-speaking parents. Special education teachers and professionals can use these tools to:</p><ul><li>Inform parents of the school's obligations to English language learner (ELL) students and limited English proficient (LEP) parents</li><li>Share an English-Spanish glossary of terms used in the Individuals with Disabilities Act</li><li>Give parents commonly asked questions regarding special education services (SES)</li><li>Provide information on what to do if children with disabilities are bullied</li><li>Let parents know how to request copies of their children's records</li><li>Tell parents how to request an initial evaluation for special education services, a meeting to review the child's IEP or a change in the child's placement</li><li>Share an overview of the IEP process, the IEP team, the contents of the IEP and IEP meeting information</li></ul><h3><a href="https://education.mn.gov/mdeprod/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&amp;dDocName=041783&amp;RevisionSelectionMethod=latestReleased&amp;Rendition=primary" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>MNDOE – Holding IEP Meetings with EL Families and Interpreters</strong></a></h3><p>This downloadable PDF brochure from the Minnesota Department of Education provides tips that educators from any state can use to conduct IEP meetings with an interpreter present. Educators can:</p><ul><li>Before the meeting, brief the parents and the interpreter to review the purpose, agenda, background, technical terms, attendees, and interpretation style (continuous or simultaneous), as well as any written materials</li><li>During the meeting, introduce the interpreter, explain the purpose of their presence at the meeting, cover confidentiality and procedures</li><li>Encourage parents to ask questions whenever they would like and ask for questions often</li><li>Face the family and speak directly to them</li><li>Speak in the first person; for example, "I assessed Jose…"</li><li>Use clear, simple plain language, be patient and speak one at a time</li><li>Provide written translations of any forms that need to be signed and explain parents' rights to change their minds</li><li>At the close of the meeting, summarize decisions, explain the next steps and timing, and provide a contact for future questions and concerns</li></ul><p>We hope you find that these resources and tips on including non-English speaking parents in IEP meetings are a valuable addition to your special education teaching toolkit. Don't forget to bookmark!</p><p>To discover where your specialized skills are needed across the nation, explore our <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">special education jobs</a> now.</p>

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