How to Write Your Parent Input & Concerns for the IEP

A Parent's Guide to Making Your Voice Part of Your Child's Educational Plan

In This Article You'll Learn

By the end of this article, you'll know:

• Why the Parent Input and Concerns section is one of the most important parts of the IEP.

• What information belongs in this section.

• How to organize your thoughts before the meeting.

• How to write a statement that is clear, concise, and useful to the IEP team.

• Includes free downloadable PDF guide

One of the most overlooked sections of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the Parent Input and Concerns section. In many ways, it is also one of the most important.This is where your voice becomes part of the legal document that guides your child's education. While your thoughts and concerns may be discussed during the meeting, the Parent Input and Concerns section is where your priorities are documented and become part of the IEP itself.

Many parents are unsure what to include. Some write only a sentence or two because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing. Others write several pages because they are trying to capture years of experiences, worries, and hopes for their child.

The goal is to find the balance between those two extremes.

Include what is most important for the team to know while keeping your statement organized, focused, and practical. Remember, this section is reviewed whenever the IEP is reviewed, so it should evolve as your child grows and your priorities change.The following framework can help you organize your thoughts.

1. Start with Your Top Safety Concerns

Safety comes before academics.If your child is not safe at school, or does not feel safe, it becomes much harder for them to learn.Think about the concerns that occupy your mind when you send your child to school each day.

Examples include:

• Elopement or wandering from the classroom

• Toileting needs while maintaining privacy and dignity

• Food allergies and preventing accidental exposure

• Difficulty recognizing unsafe situations

• Medical needs

• Bullying or social vulnerability

Not every child has significant safety concerns, but many families do. If safety is one of your priorities, it should be one of the first things the IEP team reads.

Parent Tip: Limit yourself to your three most important safety concerns. Focusing on your highest priorities helps the team clearly understand what matters most.

2. Identify Your Top Academic Priorities

Now shift your attention to learning.Ask yourself:

"If my child could make meaningful progress in just three academic areas this year, what would I choose?"

Try to be as specific as possible. Instead of writing:

"My child struggles with reading."

Consider writing:

"Our primary concern is reading comprehension. While our child reads words accurately, they often struggle to understand, remember, and explain what they have read."

Or instead of saying:

"Writing is difficult."

Try:

"Our child has difficulty organizing thoughts into written language and expressing ideas clearly in writing."

Specific concerns help the IEP team develop goals and services that directly address what is most important to your family.

3. Tell the Team What Motivates Your Child and What Calms Them

Parents often know exactly what helps their child persevere through difficult tasks. This information is incredibly valuable to teachers.

Think about questions like:

• What praise motivates your child?

• What rewards encourage them to keep trying?

• What helps them recover from frustration?

• What builds their confidence?

• What interests can teachers use to encourage participation?

Some children are motivated by verbal praise. Others may respond best to:

• Stickers or token systems

• Short breaks with a preferred toy

• Drawing or another preferred activity

• Classroom jobs

• Working toward a reward at home

• Positive notes sent home

• Recognition for effort rather than perfection

These details often make a meaningful difference in helping a child stay engaged and develop confidence.

4. End with Your Long-Term Vision

Parents naturally worry about the future. These are the questions that keep us up at night. Transferring those into long term focus for our child's education planning can be the most important aspect we bring to IEP team decisions. The team may come and go but your long term focus for your child can keep the yearly goals and activities properly focused on the future. Consider the following:

• Will my child be able to live independently? What skills will they need?

• Will they understand paperwork at a doctor's office?

• Will they have the skills needed for employment? What skills gaps do they have?

• Will they be able to advocate for themselves?

Those concerns are completely understandable. For the IEP, instead of writing them as fears, reframe them as long-term goals.

For example, instead of writing:

"I'm afraid my child will never understand what they read well enough to have a good job."

Consider writing:

"Our long-term goal is for our child to develop strong reading comprehension skills that allow them to understand written information independently. These skills are essential for future success in school, employment, and daily living. We hope the instruction provided today builds the foundation for lifelong learning and independence."

This shifts the focus from fear to purpose and reminds the IEP team that the goals they write today are stepping stones toward your child's future.

Review and Edit Before You Share

After you've written your parent statement, set it aside for a day if possible. Then read it again and ask yourself:

• Is everything here important for this school year?

• Have I repeated myself?

• Is my tone professional?

• Does this clearly communicate my priorities?

• Would someone unfamiliar with my child understand what matters most?

We have strong emotions about our children's future and the importance of their education. Those emotions often motivate us to advocate fiercely for our children. However, the Parent Input and Concerns section is part of a legal and educational document. It is most effective when it is clear, respectful, and focused on your child's needs as a business document, without all the emotion we have as parents.

Many families find it helpful to use an AI writing assistant, such as ChatGPT, as an editor. AI can help improve clarity, organization, grammar, and tone while preserving your ideas and priorities. Think of it as an editing tool, not the author. Your experiences, concerns, and goals should always come from you. Take what you have written and ask the AI tool to edit it for clarity, conciseness and to reduce high emotional language. This can make your input fit most closely with what the team will understand in the context of a school planning meeting.

Remember: Clear and concise writing is often more powerful than a lengthy explanation. Your goal is not to tell your child's entire story. Your goal is to help the IEP team understand what matters most right now.

Your Voice Matters

Teachers, therapists, psychologists, and specialists each bring important expertise to the IEP team. You bring something no one else can. You know your child across every environment, every stage of development, and every season of life. You know what brings them joy, what motivates them, what worries them, and what dreams you have for their future.

A thoughtful Parent Input and Concerns statement ensures that your perspective becomes part of the written IEP and gives the team a clear understanding of the priorities that matter most to your family.

It is one of the simplest, and most meaningful, ways to participate in your child's IEP process.

Downloadable Guide

To help you prepare for your next IEP meeting, download the Parent Input & Concerns Guide It walks you through each section discussed in this article and makes it easy to organize your thoughts before your meeting.

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The information on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. While I strive to provide accurate and current information the laws, regulations, and school district practices may change. Use of this website does not create an advocate-client relationship.

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