Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional IEP Meeting Tomorrow

We have DS' IEP meeting tomorrow. Wish us luck! I got donuts and muchkins and have iRecorder installed on my phone to record the meeting. Any last minute advice? I am nervous but I anticipate it will go well!

You should tell them tht you re recording the meeting. It cn be illegal in some states without permission.

Oh yes, of course. I plan to tell them. Should I not record it at all? Maybe I shouldn't - may make people uncomfortable...

The usual practice is to take good notes and then send an email or letter summarizing the points covered and confirming the action plan with a request for correction. Recording could imply a lack of trust and make your participants worry about how they sound rather than focusing on the meeting.

I suppose if you explained it in some benign way, like you have difficulty taking notes and asking questions but you want to make notes later, that might help. Everyone will be more relaxed and natural without a recording though.

I do have trouble taking notes and our babysitter for our little one fell through so he will be there and a distraction at the meeting. Having said that, so far these people have been very cooperative, etc. so I really don't anticipate any problems. I was going to say I just have trouble taking notes and then wondering what everyone said, etc... it's just easier for me to record. One of the reasons we are doing the IEP is becasue of all the trouble DS has writing, I was gonna joke that it runs in the family and that's why I like to record meetings and such.

I guess I'll just play it by ear and see how I feel and what the feeling is once we get there.

Pete Wright says to tape it. (and im my book his word is golden!) Aside from actually having a tape, it can...inspire some people to be slightly more cooperative than they would otherwise be. Good luck!
http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/tips/palmer.meeting.tape.htm

It is perfectly fine to say "could I record the meeting? That will free me up to not take notes."

They may ask for a copy of the recording.

In our maximum-conflict days, we found that people did become noticeably more agreeable with a recorder running.

DeeDee

I should hire myself out as a "legal presence" at these meetings.

"I will attend if you give me coffee and doughnuts," I will say.

It would be a limited arrangement, where I just have to sit there and look attoreyish.

The retainer agreement would be clear that I wasn't there to take notes, or even pay any attention to what was going on.

LOL this alone is worth doing it for, even if you never listen to the recording

This is funny, but it actually works to have someone sitting there looking attorneyish. All the participants are on their best behavior. Having a recorder sitting in the middle of the table works, too.