What to ask for in an IEP It can be really challenging knowing what to ask for at the IEP meeting. There are many articles and books written that explain the legal aspects of the IEP, responsibilities of all parties, federal standards and regulations, etc. It can get very confusing and overwhelming. You hear words like accommodations, modifications, strategies, and supports thrown around with little awareness of what they mean. To keep it simple and to the point, as a parent you what your child to feel “safe, accepted, and competent” at school. You want the academic, physical, social, and emotional demands of the school day to match what your child can handle. Unless your child feels “safe and accepted” he will have difficult time learning. Ask yourself and your child: What is difficult for your child? What areas (sensory, academic, social, transitions, riding the bus, lunch, gym, bullying, etc.) is he struggling with? Is the work too hard or too much? Does he have too much homework to handle? Is he overwhelmed by the physical, social, or sensory demands in gym or during lunch/recess? Does he not feel safe when transitioning in the halls between classes? Does he get distracted when sitting in the back of the room, or by a window? Does he feel safe and accepted by the teachers, aids, and peers? Does he need breaks to escape and regroup, or a sensory diet to stay calm, alert and regulated? Does he need the work broken down, presented visually, or instructions read to him to make the tasks easier? I tend to look at five main areas when categorizing supports that may be needed in helping the child to be successful at school. Physical/Sensory Does your child have physical or sensory challenges that may need accommodating for in the classroom or other areas of the school? Does where he sit in the classroom affect his ability to focus (front of classroom, near or away from a window or doorway, etc.)? Does he need special adaptations or accommodations for lighting and noise that may overwhelm him? Does he need a cushion on his seat, because he cannot tolerate the hard surfaces? Does he need a sensory diet to keep him calm and alert? He may need sensory breaks throughout the day, to escape and rebound from the demands of the classroom. Does your child have any physical disabilities that will need to be accommodated for in order to be successful at school? Does your child struggle with fine or gross motor skills, and need direct therapy to help with that? Usually the Occupational Therapist can be a big help in evaluating and providing recommendations in these areas. Social This is often a major area for children on the spectrum. What accommodations need to be in place for your child to feel safe and accepted by those around him, both teachers/staff and other students. Usually I break these down into four categories: (1) Disclosure and awareness training, (2) supervision, (3) facilitation, and (4) mentoring/skill teaching. How much are you going to disclose about your child’s vulnerabilities, and how to do awareness training for staff and peers so that they understand your child? What type, and how much, supervision is going to be needed to keep your child socially feeling safe and accepted at school (especially during the unstructured times of lunch, recess, locker room, hallways, etc.). Does your child need to be supervised and assisted during these times, possibly leave class a little early when transitioning between classes? Does he need supervision to protect him from being teased or bullied? Next, what strategies and supports will be used to help facilitate cooperative interaction with peers? What social skills will need to be taught so your child can adequately regulate in these social interactions? Do they have peer mentors that can help supervise, support, and coach your child socially during the day? Are there formal social skills groups that your child can join? Usually the social worker, or speech and language therapist can be of help in this area. Communication Is your child struggling to communicate his wants and needs, or communicate what he knows? Does he need augmented communication (pictures, sign, electronic communication device, iPad, laptop, etc.) to effectively communicate what he knows and needs? Does he need direct speech and language therapy to develop more effective communication, and how will that be integrated into the school? Does he need visual supports to understand and expressive communicate? The Speech and Language Pathologist is the person to assess and make recommendations in these areas. Scheduling/Organizing Most children on the spectrum function much better under predictable structure, and have problems organizing themselves. Visual schedules, picture sequence boards, color coded organizers, etc. can be a great help for many on the spectrum. Calendars for events, check off lists, homework reminders, appointment books, and color coded course separators can be support in helping the child organize. These systems help the child transition and navigate the events and demands of the day. When the child is having trouble transitioning between activities and classes, remembering to turn in, or bring home, his homework, or keeping his work organized, these strategies will help significantly. Emotionally/Behaviorally Is your child displaying high anxiety, depression, opposition, or behavior challenges at school? What are his major stressors and/or the triggers causing the difficulties? What coping skills does he need to emotionally cope with the demands that are challenging him? What behavior skills does he need to learn to better communicate and cope with his stressors? What supports need to be in place to reduce the anxiety, teach him to communicate his needs better, and cope emotionally? If he is exhibiting ongoing challenging behaviors then you want to request in writing for a “functional behavior assessment”, to create a “positive behavior support plan” to address these challenges. Although the actual behavior support plan is often only an addendum to the IEP, make sure it is listed in the IEP that such a plan will be developed. Academic What challenges does your child have with learning and expressing what he has learned? Is the work too hard, or too much, or does he need more time to get it down. Accommodations can include how the material is broken down and presented and also how your child can best express what he has learned. Does he need to present what he knows orally, instead of in writing? Does he need to type it out instead of writing it out? Does he need instructions given orally, or the material previewed ahead of time to help his organize what he is learning? Does he need more time to take test, and does he need to be taken to a quieter area to take them in? What accommodations need to be made for homework? Does your child need a para-pro to assist and support him through the material and tasks? There are a host of accommodations and modifications that can help in this area. If your child is struggling with the course work, ask how they plan to support him. What strategies will they use? There are numerous types of accommodations that can be built into the IEP. You most likely will not know all the supports that could be provided. That is ok! However, make a list of the different challenges (sensory, social, communicative, academic, organization, emotional/behavioral, etc.) that your child is experiencing and use those to discuss what strategies will be put in place to support and assist the child with these challenges. You don’t have to have all the answers (know what supports) going in, but don’t leave the meeting without them! If there is not enough time, schedule another meeting! Secondly, make sure there is a goal in the IEP to address each one of these challenges and supporting strategies. If it is not listed under a goal, it may well never occur. So, if you have challenges with sensory issues, task assignments, social concerns, and behavior challenges, make sure there is a goal to address each area. List out the strategies in the IEP. GET IT IS WRITING!! If you go prepared, then you will feel more successful when you leave! Lastly, it is often best to develop a core team including social worker, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, behavior specialist and special education coordinator, to help assess the areas of challenges and design the goals and strategies for supporting these concerns. That way you can periodically meet with them individually to assess and measure progress. The teacher will not have the time, and often the knowledge, to assess and develop all the strategies that may be needed to help your child feel “safe, accepted, and competent!”
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 00:50:47 +0000
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