More IEP Minutes or More Inclusion? How a Well-Written IEP Leads to Better Decisions

Trying to get more minutes of specially designed instruction into your child's IEP? Or fewer, so there's more room in the general education classroom? In this episode of The Collaborative IEP Podcast, I explain why the real question is never actually about minutes at all, and how building the IEP in the right order gets you closer to what you actually want. In this episode, I explain: • Why requests for more or fewer minutes usually point to a different underlying need • How to prioritize when your family can't get everything you want in the IEP • Why building the IEP in order, from present levels to goals to services, determines the minutes • How trading time between subjects can help a team support what matters most to your child • Why fewer minutes of specially designed instruction does not automatically mean more inclusion • What deliberate, meaningful inclusion actually requires in the general education setting Getting what you want in an IEP is not about winning an argument or finding the right words. It is about knowing what you want, knowing what you want most, and building the document so that the present levels, the goals, and the services all support that priority. When a team builds in that order, the minutes tend to take care of themselves. Listen now to learn how building your IEP in order can help you get more of what your child actually needs, whether that means more specially designed instruction or more time with general education peers. Listen to Episode 8, Getting More Services Out Of An IEP: https://ashleybarlowco.com/getting-more-services-out-of-an-iep/ Join The Membership: https://ashleybarlowco.com/the-collaborative-iep-membership