Getting Organized: A New Tool for Parents

by Carla K. Binswanger

Piles of paperwork are a fact of life for most of us, but for parents of children with special needs, there are few things as confusing, as chaotic—or as important—as the piles of paperwork that surround a child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). When our child was diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, he received months of cognitive, speech and physical therapy, and we received a huge pile of paperwork. As a professional organizer, I did the only thing I knew how to do: I got organized. The result is My IEP ToolKit: The Complete Organizer for Your Child’s Individualized Education Plan, a durable binder that helps parents sort through, organize and easily retrieve their paperwork, so that they can effectively advocate for their children.

My IEP ToolKit is modeled on a concept recommended by many education professionals: to gather together all your child’s relevant IEP paperwork, and to organize it into a 3-ring binder with tabbed dividers. However, My IEP ToolKit goes even further. Its 12 high-quality dividers each cover a distinct IEP-related topic, including Testing & Evaluations; Report Cards & Progress Notes; Communication with Teachers, and more. The front of each divider is pre-printed with clear instructions showing what belongs in that section and what doesn’t, as well as tips and strategies related to that topic. The back of each divider is designed to help parents easily record their own information on that topic.

“I used to spend so much time digging through piles of paper for misplaced information,” says one mother whose four elementary-school children each have IEPs. “It’s intimidating enough to go to team meetings, to try to understand all the information they’re giving you, and to advocate for what you think your child really needs—but it’s worse when you can't even refer to the necessary information to justify those needs to the school. With My IEP ToolKit, I don’t spend hours sifting through papers anymore. Now I can easily review the information, and easily keep track of which child is getting which services. It’s helped me gain confidence in dealing with the school teams, and it’s helped me communicate with them much more effectively. I couldn’t survive the IEP process without it.”

My IEP ToolKit includes user-friendly charts for recording classroom observations, tracking student progress, and following up on issues discussed at IEP meetings. There are checklists on what to do before and after your next IEP meeting, tips on effective communication with school administrators, and resources for legal advocacy. There’s also a three-hole-punch, a catch-all pocket, and a tag for customizing the spine of the binder with the name and/or school year of your child.

“As an advocate for children with disabilities, I see a lot of parents/clients who are overwhelmed with paperwork,” says educational consultant Jennifer Swan, M.Ed. “In meetings where everyone is speaking a language you can barely understand, My IEP Toolkit gives parents the ability to locate documents, take notes and refer to previous meetings. It helps them be fully present at these meetings. And that’s key, because when parents are focused and organized, they’re a lot more effective about getting services for their children.”

My IEP ToolKit: The Complete Organizer for Your Child’s Individualized Education Plan is available at www.Organized4Kids.com.

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