Advocacy With Receipts: How to Walk Into IEPs Prepared
Parents don’t lose IEP meetings because we don’t care. We lose because the system counts on us showing up without receipts.
An IEP isn’t about how nice your child’s teacher is or how many times you’ve emailed the principal. It’s about data, documentation, and demands. That’s how you make the law work for your child.
What Are “Receipts”?
Receipts = proof.
Progress reports showing no growth.
Emails confirming services weren’t delivered.
Data sheets proving your child hasn’t mastered goals.
Notes from your child’s doctor or outside provider.
When you bring receipts, you change the conversation. Instead of, “We think Janiyah is making progress,” it becomes, “Here’s the data showing Janiyah hasn’t met her reading goal in two years.”
Receipts remove the spin.
The Power of Preparation
When parents walk into IEP meetings with binders, trackers, and specific requests, the energy shifts. The team knows you’re not guessing. You’re not pleading. You’re holding them accountable with their own records.
Here are three simple ways to prepare:
Request data in writing. Ask for progress monitoring reports, attendance logs, and service minutes before the meeting.
Compare goals to growth. If your child’s IEP says “80% accuracy,” but the data shows 40% month after month — that’s a violation.
Know the law. IDEA, COMAR, and case law like Endrew F. all require meaningful progress, not just busywork.
Why This Matters
Without receipts, parents leave meetings with promises. With receipts, parents leave with services.
That’s why I built The IEP Files Academy™ Cohort 2.
You’ll learn how to collect and organize receipts.
You’ll see exactly how to use them at the table.
You’ll practice strategies with peers so you never feel outnumbered again.
And for ongoing support, the No Parent Alone Membership is open free for September. Starting October, it’s $27/month, and you’ll be paired with another parent to check in, swap receipts, and show up strong.
Final Word
The system doesn’t care about feelings. It cares about proof.
Parents with receipts don’t get ignored. They get results.
Join Cohort 2 (starts Sept 21).
Secure your free September spot in No Parent Alone.
Bring your receipts. Change your child’s future.
