To help special education planning teams reach agreements, the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Special Education Mediation Service (MNSEMS) provide the option of facilitated IEP meetings. This option is available for IEP (Individualized Education Program), IIIP (Individual Interagency Intervention Plan), and IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan) meetings. The facilitator helps keep the IEP team members focused on developing the IEP while addressing conflicts and disagreements that may arise during the meeting. The facilitator will try to create an environment in which the IEP team members can listen to one another persons points of view and work together to develop an IEP that is acceptable to both the parents and the school district. This document discusses facilitated IEP meetings, the role of the facilitator, and the benefits of facilitated meetings.