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My area of "expertise" is not Down syndrome, so hopefully others will chime in with recommendations specific to that disability. But from a general standpoint... Since her triennial is coming up, that means the school will be doing a re-evaluation. That should be done in all areas of suspected disability, so make sure you sign a consent for cognitive/general intelligence (an IQ test may have been done previously, but you need to make sure she has a NONVERBAL IQ test done due to her language limitations and to get a more realistic idea of her cognitive capabilities ), communication skills (both speech and language), academics, and any other area with which you are concerned (social skills?). I would also request a phonological awareness test, which a lot of states require now, but usually only for lower elementary grades. This would help to show where instruction in reading needs to start. Regardless of the results of the school's evaluation, afterwards I would request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). This would be paid at school/public expense. You will need to state that you disagree with the school's evaluation, but you do not have to give them reasons. The reason I say to ask for an IEE is because school evaluations don't come with recommendations. An IEE would (hopefully) speak to whether or not your daughter is capable of learning to read AND would hopefully offer recommendations on instruction, etc.

Your gut is correct. You are entitled to have ALL your parent concerns put in the IEP document. But don't wait until the meeting to voice them. Put your parent concerns in a letter/email to the IEP team before the meeting. This accomplished two things: 1) the team can (hopefully) prepare ahead of time for your concerns and 2) they have an easy way to include your parent concerns in the IEP document - by just cutting and pasting. Even with this convenience, school districts still seem to push back on putting parent concerns letters/emails in the IEP document, and unfortunately, the federal law regarding the IEP process (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA) does not specifically address parent concern letters. However, it repeatedly mentions "parent participation" as a high priority during the process, so I would argue they are not allowing your full participation if they don't put in all your parent concerns - whether you state them verbally at the meeting or via a letter/email. Although the IDEA does not specifically mention parent concerns letters, Lisa found a VERY helpful sentence in the comments to the law's passage (which basically sets forth in detail what the law means), as follows: "Parents are free to provide input into the child's IEP through a written report if they so choose." See the link for Lisa's entire blog on this issue below. This is something you can point to if they refuse to include your parent concerns letter in the IEP document. As far as why a school district does what it does, your guess is probably as good as mine. Their excuse that the concern has to happen "frequently" is not a valid one or more importantly, one that is required by law. Some school districts try to avoid documentation whenever they can. But I wouldn't worry about the "why." Just know what YOUR rights are and if they provide a reason denying your request, make them show you the reason in a written law/statute, state guidelines, or school district policy. If they can't, go with your gut and tell them you want it in the IEP. https://adayinourshoes.com/parent-concerns-on-the-iep-parent-letter-of-attachment/#h-where-is-the-parent-concerns-letter-mentioned-in-idea