Facilitation is an optional and voluntary process that may be offered in your state. A facilitated IEP/IFSP meeting is the same as any other IEP/IFSP meeting, except that a facilitator joins the meeting and helps the team with communication and reaching agreement. The following resource describes some of the benefits of facilitation from various perspectives.
The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education
Supporting the prevention and resolution of disputes through partnership and collaboration