An IEP meeting — that is, a session to discuss your child's
Individualized Education Program — can seem overwhelming at first. Add
to this experience the pages of paperwork required to apply for support
for your child, and you may go home feeling like you have no idea what
just happened.
What does an IEP include?
Perhaps you wonder what you can expect to find in an IEP
and what it will mean for you and your child. While every district may
use a slightly different format for this documentation, IEPs will
contain the same information because the federal law known as the Individuals With Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) mandates which areas must be addressed.
Identifying Information
This section will include your (or a guardian’s) name(s), address,
phone numbers, and email address, as well as your child's name, date of
birth, student identification number, grade, and school.
Present Levels of Performance
This portion will provide a description of how your child is
performing in all academic, cognitive, behavioral, and physical areas.
The information contained here should be completed by your child's
teacher, any therapists who work with your child, and a school
psychologist or independent evaluator who has met with her. These
professionals will provide their assessments based on classroom
assignments, formal neuropsychological evaluations, and possibly
standardized test results.
This is an area where you can add your own observations of your
child’s difficulties based on any issues you see at home as well.
Annual Goals
Each year, your child's IEP team — which includes you, as her parent
or guardian — will develop goals that she can reasonably achieve within
the year. These targets can focus on academic or other needs, including
behavioral, social, or physical development. Occasionally, a child will
meet a goal before the next annual IEP meeting, in which case you can
request an amendment meeting to develop new goals.
This section should also provide a clear description of how your
child’s progress will be measured and how often it will be assessed.
Common tools for evaluating her growth may include formal observation by
one or more members of her special education support team, work samples, tests, comprehensive portfolios, or other types of evaluations.
Progress is typically measured at least once a semester, and you will
receive this feedback along with her report card or narrative
assessment.
Supports & Services
This section will outline the special education
services that your child will receive at school, which could include,
for example, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or direct
intervention from a special education teacher. This portion will also
cover additional supports she might require, such as an extended school
year or a one-on-one paraprofessional. It will, moreover, outline any
additional training that her teacher may need, especially if your child
has medical considerations such as a life-threatening allergy or a
G-tube (a means of delivering nutrition to children who have trouble
eating).
You may also see specific products included here, such as pencil grips or some other type of assistive technology if she has dysgraphia or dylsexia, for instance.
Modifications & Accommodations
This section differs slightly from “Supports & Services,” and
covers anything your child may need to support her learning the
curriculum. Modifications refer to changes to the material taught to
your child or expectations for her. One example is requiring her to
complete fewer homework problems in a particular subject that is
affected by her disability. By contrast, accommodations are changes that
enable your child to overcome her disability or learning difference,
such as preferred seating to ensure she can see the whiteboard or extra
response time on class tests or quizzes if she has a language processing
disorder.
This part of an IEP should also include considerations for modifications or accommodations that apply to state and district testing, such as being in a separate testing room or having directions read aloud.
Participation in General Education Classrooms
The IEP must include the percentage of time your child will spend in a
general education class with peers, along with the percentage of time
she will be in a special education setting. While the school is likely
to have a proposal for these figures, your input is important.
Based on the district’s policy and your child's various levels of
functioning, she may spend all of her time in a general education
classroom — either independently or with a one-on-one assistant — or she
may join them during particular programs like art or music. Similarly,
if her achievement is at grade level in certain subjects but not others,
she may be in the general education classroom all day and simply
receive additional support from a member of her special needs team.
These services can be provided individually or in small groups and take
place in the class or in a separate setting, according to her needs.
Remember that nothing in the IEP is set in stone, and if your child's
needs evolve throughout the year, you can request an amendment meeting
to address changes to the plan. For example, you may have seen growth in
areas of her development that convince you that an inclusive classroom is better than a special education setting for her. Or you may believe that she needs additional support outside of her general education class, and you have the legal right to meet with her team to discuss these issues.
Transition Service Needs
If your child is over the age of 14, her IEP must address the courses
she will need to graduate from high school. Beginning at the age of 16,
an IEP should also include a statement about the services (if any) that
your child will need as she transitions out of school.
Determining post-secondary goals — that is, those that follow high
school — depends largely on your child’s functioning. For example, these
plans may include going to college, a trade school, or getting a job.
Alternatively, they may focus on teaching her the skills to function
independently outside of the home or to attain living skills like making
meals for herself. These goals are usually developed together with the
student, and each subsequent year’s IEP goals are created with these
aims in mind. As with other stages of your child’s development, you can
request changes according to her growth.
It’s important to note that some special needs students remain in the
K–12 school system and continue to receive services until they reach
the age of 21. That said, some colleges and universities are beginning
to provide post-secondary programs for people with disabilities.
Whichever path your child pursues, she is eligible to receive support
services until this age, either through your school or district office.
Signature Page
Everyone who attends an IEP meeting should sign this page. There will
be one area for you to sign that confirms your attendance, as well as
another field where you sign to agree to what was covered in the IEP.
That said, you are not required to provide consent at the meeting, and
can take home a draft to review before returning the signed form.
Although all members of your child’s special education team are
legally required to be present, there will be a section to note if
anyone was absent. This area should also include the team member’s notes
on your child's development.
Material taken from: https://www.noodle.com/articles/the-iep-decoded-a-parents-guide-by-a-special-ed-teacher