The Parking-Lot Script
Twelve sentences for the five minutes before you walk in.
You don’t need a speech. You need a few exact sentences, ready before you walk in. Read these in the car. Pick the ones you think you’ll need. They work the same whether your meeting is an IEP, an IPP, an ISP, an LSP, an IPRC or a 504. Different names, same room.
To open
Set the tone: calm, collaborative, prepared.
- “Thanks for making time. I've done some prep, so I may ask to pause on a few things to be sure I understand them.”
- “Before we start, is the plan in front of us a draft we’re working on together today, or a final version?”
- “I want this to go well for everyone. I'm here to understand, to ask, and to get this right for my child.”
When you don't understand something
Never sign onto words you can't picture.
- “Can you put that in plain language? What would that actually look like for my kid on a Tuesday?”
- “Is that a goal, a service, or just a description? I want to be sure I know which.”
- “Can you show me where that is in the document?”
When they say no
You're not arguing. You're recording.
- “I hear that. Can we get both the request and the reason for the no written into the notes?”
- “What would need to be true for that to be possible: funding, an assessment, something else?”
- “If not now, then when can we revisit it? Can we put a date on it?”
When it's moving too fast, and to close
Slow it down, then leave with the paper.
- “I want to make sure I'm tracking. Can we slow down on this part?”
- “I'd like to take this home and read it before I sign. When do you need it back?”
- “Can I get a copy of today's notes, and the name of the person I follow up with?”
Three things that are true no matter how the meeting goes
- The plan is a draft until you agree to it. "Proposed" is not "decided."
- You never have to sign in the room. Taking it home to read is normal and expected.
- You are not "that parent." You’re the prepared one.
You are the expert on your child. This is just the language for the conversation. You bring the rest.
Who wrote this, and why it’s free
I’m Jared. I’m not a parent, and I want to say that first. I spent years inside the systems your child’s school connects to, in Alberta children’s services and then mental health navigation, including individualized program planning. I sat in these meetings on the other side of the table. The parent always knew what their kid needed. They just didn’t have the words fast enough. This page is the words. It stays free so that anyone can hand it to anyone. More about me.
Take it into the car.
The twelve sentences as a one-page printable, plus a 4-minute voice memo for the five minutes before you walk in. By email, free.
No spam. A few short, practical emails over a week, then you decide.
If you want 114 pages of this
The toolkit is the full version: 30 scripts for the hard moments, 20 letter templates, a glossary, the rights summary, and the prep checklists for the US, Alberta and Ontario. $47 CAD, one time, instant PDF. Full refund within 30 days by email, no form.