Month Two of School: What Parents Should Watch for When Their Child Has an IEP

By Jacqueline Breault, M.Ed., BCSE, LBS | October 16, 2026

By the second month of school, routines have been established, teachers have gotten to know their students, and schoolwork is becoming more challenging. This is also an important time for parents of children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to pause and ask: Is my child’s IEP being followed, and is my child making meaningful progress?

You do not have to wait until the annual IEP meeting to raise concerns. Here are several areas to watch as the school year moves forward.

1. Confirm That All Services Have Started

Review the section of your child’s IEP that lists special education services, related services, and supports. This may include:

  • Specialized instruction
  • Speech or language therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Counseling
  • Behavioral support
  • Reading or mathematics intervention
  • Transportation
  • Paraprofessional or one-to-one assistance

Check the frequency, duration, and location of each service. For example, if the IEP states that your child receives speech therapy twice each week for 30 minutes, you should be able to confirm that this service is happening.

Federal regulations require an IEP to be in effect at the beginning of the school year. Teachers and service providers responsible for implementing it must have access to the IEP and be informed of their specific responsibilities, including the accommodations, modifications, and supports your child needs (34 C.F.R. § 300.323).

If services have been missed, ask the school to explain why, how the missed sessions are being documented, and whether make-up or compensatory services may be appropriate.

2. Make Sure Accommodations Are Being Used Consistently

Accommodations should not exist only on paper. Depending on your child’s IEP, accommodations might include:

  • Extended time
  • Small-group testing
  • Directions read aloud or repeated
  • Movement or sensory breaks
  • Preferential seating
  • Assistive technology
  • Visual schedules
  • Reduced-distraction settings
  • Modified assignments
  • Support with organization
  • Positive behavioral supports

Ask whether these accommodations are being provided in every applicable class not only in the special education classroom. A child may need support during science, lunch, electives, assemblies, field trips, and other parts of the school day.

A helpful question is: “Can you give me an example of how this accommodation is being used during the school day?”

3. Ask for Actual Progress Data

Grades and report cards do not always show whether a child is progressing toward individual IEP goals. A child may receive passing grades while making limited progress on an IEP goal or struggle with grades while still demonstrating growth in a specific skill.

Each IEP must explain how progress toward annual goals will be measured and when parents will receive periodic progress reports (34 C.F.R. § 300.320(a)(3)).

When reviewing progress, ask for measurable information such as:

  • Reading levels or fluency rates
  • Accuracy percentages
  • Frequency or duration of behaviors
  • Number of prompts required
  • Work samples
  • Therapy data
  • Assessment results
  • Progress-monitoring charts

Statements such as “doing well,” “making progress,” or “trying hard” are encouraging, but they do not replace objective data.

4. Pay Attention to Changes at Home

Children do not always tell adults when something is difficult at school. Changes at home may be an important signal. Watch for:

  • Increased anxiety or school refusal
  • Frequent stomachaches or headaches
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Emotional meltdowns after school
  • Sudden withdrawal
  • Increased aggression
  • Loss of previously learned skills
  • Excessive exhaustion
  • Homework taking an unusually long time
  • Statements such as “I’m stupid” or “Nobody helps me”

These behaviors do not automatically mean that the school is doing something wrong. However, they may show that your child is overwhelmed, misunderstood, unsupported, or working much harder than others realize. Document patterns and share specific examples with the IEP team.

5. Review Behavior Supports

If your child’s behavior is interfering with learning, the team should look beyond punishment and consider what the behavior may be communicating. The IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports when a child’s behavior interferes with the child’s learning or the learning of others (34 C.F.R. § 300.324(a)(2)).

Parents may want to ask:

  • What happens immediately before the behavior?
  • What support is provided before the child becomes overwhelmed?
  • Is the behavior plan being followed consistently?
  • Are staff collecting behavior data?
  • Does the child need a Functional Behavioral Assessment?
  • Are sensory, communication, academic, or emotional needs contributing to the behavior?

Repeated discipline without investigating the reason for the behavior may not address the actual problem.

6. Watch for a Lack of Meaningful Progress

By Month 2, your child may not have mastered an annual goal and that is okay. However, there should be evidence that instruction has begun and that the school is collecting information about your child’s response.

Warning signs may include:

  • No data has been collected.
  • Staff cannot explain how progress is measured.
  • Your child is repeatedly failing the same tasks.
  • Goals are being worked on inconsistently.
  • Services or accommodations are frequently missed.
  • The school reports regression without suggesting changes.
  • The same concerns continue without a plan of action.

IDEA requires IEP teams to review and revise an IEP when appropriate, including when a child is not making the expected progress toward annual goals or in the general education curriculum (34 C.F.R. § 300.324(b)).

7. Keep Communication in Writing

Written communication creates a clear record of your questions, the school’s responses, and any agreed-upon next steps. After a telephone call or informal conversation, send a brief follow-up email.

For example:

“Thank you for speaking with me today. My understanding is that we discussed missed occupational therapy sessions, current progress data, and the use of sensory breaks. Please let me know if I misunderstood anything and what the next steps will be.”

Keep copies of:

  • Emails
  • Progress reports
  • Report cards
  • Work samples
  • Evaluation reports
  • Behavior or discipline notices
  • Attendance records
  • Service logs provided by the school
  • Meeting notes

Parents also have the right to inspect and review education records related to their child. Under federal regulations, the school must respond without unnecessary delay and no later than 45 days after the request, although state law may provide a shorter timeline (34 C.F.R. § 300.613).

8. Remember That You Are Part of the IEP Team

Parents are not visitors at an IEP meeting they are required members of the team. Schools must take steps to give parents an opportunity to participate, schedule meetings at a mutually agreed-upon time and place, and provide parents with a copy of the IEP at no cost (34 C.F.R. § 300.322).

You may share concerns, provide information from home, bring relevant reports, ask questions, and request that the team consider changes. If your child’s needs have changed or the current plan is not working, put your concerns in writing and request an IEP team meeting.

If the school proposes or refuses to change your child’s identification, evaluation, educational placement, or provision of a free appropriate public education, it generally must provide Prior Written Notice explaining its decision, the information used, and the options considered (34 C.F.R. § 300.503).

A Simple Month 2 Parent Checklist

Ask yourself:

  • Have all IEP services started?
  • Are accommodations being used consistently?
  • Do I know who is providing each service?
  • Have I received understandable progress information?
  • Is the school collecting measurable data?
  • Is my child showing new emotional or behavioral concerns?
  • Are missed services being documented and addressed?
  • Is my child participating meaningfully in school?
  • Do the current goals still match my child’s needs?
  • Is it time to request an IEP meeting?

Final Thoughts

Month 2 is not about expecting perfection. It is about making sure the plan developed for your child is being put into action. Early communication can prevent small concerns from becoming larger problems.

Trust what you observe, ask specific questions, request data, and keep communication respectful and documented. Most importantly, remember that you know your child in a way no test score or progress report ever could. Your knowledge is valuable, and your voice belongs at the IEP table.

This article provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Special education procedures and timelines may vary by state. Families with individual legal concerns should contact their state’s Parent Training and Information Center, an educational advocate, or a qualified special education attorney.

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