What to do when the IEP team doesn't agree

Part of a school therapist’s job is getting buy-in from the entire IEP team, but that can be difficult to do when team members don’t agree on what’s best for a student. That’s why in episode 86 of the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast, I walk through several case studies from my mentoring group to share how to handle it when this happens. As you listen, you're going to find that building relationships is essential to providing effective therapy services, and that with a couple key shifts you'll be able to establish connection and trust with coworkers. These examples are from SLPs, but they’re really relevant to any professional or parent of K-12 kids:  What do I do when I don’t agree with what the IEP team is recommending (e.g., private school staff over qualifying students for certain disability labels)? Should students from Spanish speaking households be in a bilingual program even if they speak mostly English at school? I think they should, but the teacher doesn’t. Should I stand my ground? In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps pediatric therapists create the freedom to deliver services in a way that truly serves kids. To learn more about how to become a member, visit our enrollment page here. The De Facto Leaders podcast was formerly the “Are they 18 yet?®” podcast. As of November 2022, the name of the show has changed, and we’ve shifted from a focus on parenting to a focus on supporting clinicians and educators to design effective services for kids (but parents are still welcome to listen). Episodes published before November 24, 2022 will still contain some of our old branding.