The IEP Team - who is a required member and who is not?

Who is required to be on the IEP Team and who is not?  What rights do Parents have about who is on the child's IEP Team? 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA" at 20 U.S.C. 1414[d][1][B]-[d][1][D]) describes the IEP Team as including the following members:

• The parents of the child;
• Not less than one regular education teacher of the child (if the child is, or may be, participating in the regular education environment);
• Not less than one special education teacher of the child, or where appropriate, not less then one special education provider of the child;
• A representative of the public agency who is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities; is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency (this is someone who has the authority to commit agency resources; ask what the specific qualifications are of this person);
• An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results (this is someone who can interpret and explain the child’s tests, assessments and evaluation and and discuss what they mean in terms of instruction);
• Other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate (invited at the discretion of the parent or the agency); and
• The child with a disability (when appropriate).

The IEP members are required to attend each IEP meeting, unless excused by the Parents.  Each IEP Team member should attend the annual IEPs, but Parents may excuse any IEP Team member who is not particularly involved in an issue that is to be discussed at other IEP meetings, including emergency IEP meetings.  Parents may object to any "other individual" who does not know the child, and Parents may and should object to the school's attorney attending an IEP meeting unless the attorney for the parents/child is also attending.  We encourage Parents to include an educational advocate and/or a relative or close friend for support.