IEP Preparation

What Helps Me Learn? What Gets in the Way?

Use this worksheet to think about what helps you learn best in school. You can use it to prepare for your IEP meeting and share what works for you. For each support, choose: Helps me, Doesn’t help, or Talk about in my IEP.

🎉 You’ve answered every item! Scroll to the bottom to see your meeting prep list, then print a copy to bring to your IEP meeting.

Progress

0 of 29 💬0 to discuss

✔ Helps me ✖ Doesn’t help 💬 Talk about in my IEP

Classroom Environment & Visual Access 0 of 6

I can clearly see the teacher, interpreter, and board

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Choose seating that works for me

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Lighting makes it easy to see people signing or speaking

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Only one person is talking at a time

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Teachers pause after videos or instructions so I can catch up

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Visual aids that I can use to follow along (slides, diagrams, written instructions)

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Something else that helps me in the classroom:

Communication & Access Supports 0 of 6

ASL interpreter when the teacher is teaching

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Captioning or speech-to-text

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Captioned videos used in class

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Interpreter or captions available during group work

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Teachers repeat or summarize comments from classmates

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Extra time to process before answering questions

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

How I communicate best in class:

Instruction & Learning Supports 0 of 6

Teacher notes or slides shared before or after class

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Written instructions for assignments

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Breaking big assignments into smaller steps

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Graphic organizers or visual planners such as charts, Venn diagrams, calendars, etc.

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Previewing new vocabulary before lessons

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Examples of assignments

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Something teachers do that really helps me learn:

Tests & Assignments 0 of 6

Extended time on tests

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Testing in a quiet or low-distraction space

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Instructions explained in ASL or visually

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Test questions read aloud (ASL or spoken)

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Option to provide my answer in ASL or spoken language

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Time to ask clarification questions before starting a test

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Things that make tests easier for me:

Participation & Self-Advocacy 0 of 5

Teachers give me time to ask questions

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

I can explain what access tools I need

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Practicing how to talk about my accommodations

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Being part of decisions about my learning

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

Teachers check that I understood the instructions

✔ Helps ✖ Doesn't 💬 Talk about

My Top 3 Supports

These are the supports that help me learn the most.

1.

2.

3.

Why these supports matter for my learning:

My IEP Talking Points

One thing that is important for everyone to know about me:

One thing that makes learning harder:

One support I want to talk about in my IEP:

💬

My IEP Meeting Prep List

These are the supports you marked as "Talk about in my IEP". Bring this list to your meeting.

Nothing here yet. Mark items above with 💬 Talk about to add them to your list.