IEP Suggestions

IEP Suggestions

Introduction

This article is being written at this time in the hope of providing some common-sense advice to those new to the experience of creating and maintaining an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for their child. We do not claim to be experts, merely seasoned participants.

This process can be difficult for a number of reasons:

The results have a profound impact on the education of your child.
Even though the overall process is common for most going through this, the result is unique to the child.
There is a frequent anxiety about whether or not the resulting IEP is ideal or even adequate for the child.

This is an emotional process for parents. If we fail or construct a non-ideal plan, the impact could haunt the child for their lifetime.

This is also a potentially an emotional process for educators. From their perspective, we’re basically in their faces to get the sun and the moon for our (perceived) child’s well-being and they have their usual woes to contend with:

Limited funds
Limited time
Every other parent with this situation also with many demands
Limited control over what they are empowered to deliver in the form of a customized educational plan for your child

Not necessarily sympathizing, but at least understanding these basic forces working for or against your child’s needs may help guide you as to which approaches will and will not work during negotiation.

For us, the IEP process breaks down into several key areas:

Pre-assessment of the child and IEP planning
IEP meeting planning
The IEP meeting
The IEP document review
Handling the final document

Also note that the process is circular. That is to say, the document can always be reviewed and updated, given a child’s increased development or the discovery that a portion of the plan is found to be inappropriate or ineffective.

To begin with…

The first and most important piece of advice we can give is to never go through this process alone. There are always useful pieces of information that can be learned from family and friends, as well as numerous state and local agencies that can offer tips, guidance, or in-person support throughout the process. There is no substitute for a second set of eyes.

As you proceed through this process it is essential to remember that you are part of the IEP team, and your role is just as critical as any other team member employed by the school district.

Do I need a lawyer for this?

Another key point to consider is that of enlisting the aid of an attorney. The expense aside, we would avoid this if at all possible. We would never suggest avoiding enlisting legal assistance if it is warranted, but we would encourage you to avoid it and only use an attorney as an option of last resort.

Most educational system representatives will find the inclusion of a lawyer threatening. While this can be valuable at times, it can also erode the quality of services provided to your child. A lawyer can assist and a judge may enforce the IEP process, but this often results in “nothing more” and “nothing but” conditions with respect to following the letter of the final plan, and this rarely can benefit the child.

The goal is to create a sensible and relevant IEP plan that satisfies several key elements:

It defines the strengths and weaknesses of the child, with respect to their learning style.
It provides measurable goals that all involved agree that the child can attain within the life of the document.
It spells out detailed accommodations or adjustments to the learning environment that are needed in order to maximize learning for your child, with respect to the child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Is mediation a normal part of the IEP process?

Mediation is another option available to parents who are unable to reconcile their perceived needs with the services being offered by the school. Like the hiring of an attorney, mediation should be an option of last resort. It is in everyone’s best interest to avoid this measure at all reasonable costs.

Should the IEP process erode to the point of needing such intervention, we strongly suggest you enlist the assistance of an attorney with real experience in the area of special education law. That attorney can then advise you on your options that include mediation. Remember that arriving at the point of needing mediation indicates failure on the part of both the parents and the professional educators to reach a reasonable compromise regarding the needs of the child.

Educational mediator decisions are typically binding, which means that whatever is decided by the mediator is to be the contents of the IEP. If you are in the right and this is the only path available to get what is truly needed for your child’s education – go for it.

So a mediator is a good or a bad thing to utilize?

Bear in mind though that the mediator can very easily see the issues at hand from the school system’s perspective (they are the “Professionals”, so you will be at a likely strong disadvantage under most circumstances) and you could find yourself with a final IEP that is far from your expectations, with the prospects of future IEP drafts looking much the same and the possibility of a Canadian citizenship looking quite promising.

At what age should we begin using an IEP?

There is no set age for determining the need or lack of need for an IEP. Professional advice and parental judgment are the best ways of determining when this is needed and if the process is no longer relevant.

If you have a child evaluated and shown to have a special need, you should probably consider beginning this process as soon as possible. For children with Autism, this can have a positive effect from preschool on.

How do I set this process in motion with my local school system?

Once you have an evaluation that attests to your child’s special needs, you can contact the local department of Special Education at any time to request an IEP meeting.

Who should I expect to meet with for an IEP meeting?

Once this process begins, a group of professionals from the school system that range in areas of expertise can be expected. If your child has identified needs, you should expect area experts to be present at this meeting. For example, if your child has language needs, you should expect to see language and speech therapy personnel present to assist with their portion of the plan. Other key personnel represented are the Special Education director, a school administration representative, your child’s teacher, and the school psychologist.

You can also request additional personnel to be present, such as a gym teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist, reading specialist, etc. if your child warrants special accommodations in these areas. If an aide or classroom assistant is often present within the classroom, it might be helpful to have them attend the meeting.

How should I prepare for this meeting?

There are several steps that can be taken to make this process run as smoothly as possible.

Have a pre-meeting with those who will accompany you (again - don’t go alone) and talk about tactics or topic areas where one of you might speak more effectively than the other.
List the strengths and weaknesses that you can positively identify that you wish to see on the final plan.
If you have an existing plan, use this time to mark all areas that need change. Be as detailed as you need, so that you aren’t put on the spot by your own notes to remember.
List the educational and environmental accommodations that you feel your child needs.
Bring note pads and several writing implements. You will want to take notes and possibly pass discreet messages to your teammates.

What should I expect as a result of this meeting?

The goal of an IEP meeting is to produce a draft copy of the document so that everyone can review the details and offer changes that enhance the quality of the final document. You should always take home a draft and sleep on it. Never sign the plan until you have read it through. If possible, show it to someone who can offer constructive feedback. Also remember, even though the typical IEP is a dated and yearly plan, it can be updated at any time you or the school feels a change needs to be made.

You might also want to request to have a copy of the meeting minutes. It can be helpful to have that along with your own meeting notes in order to have another perspective of how the meeting went.

I’ve completed my first meeting and the school has sent me a draft. Now what?

There are several steps to suggest:

Read every part of it.
Make sure everyone who is supposed to be signing it has a place to do so – just not yet.
Use your meeting notes and the school-provided minutes. You may need to insist on having these prior to completing your review…people can sometimes drag their feet when it comes to producing meeting minutes.
Sleep on it – and then read every part of it again. Look for typos, minor deviations from what were agreed-upon, missing elements from the Needs, Accommodations, and Goals sections.
Make sure that each goal is detailed enough to be measured, as much as is practical.
Have someone you can trust review the document as objectively as possible.

I’m not convinced that all of the goals are measurable. Is this a bad thing?

For Autistic children, it is common to include social improvement goals. An example could be that the child will initiate a conversation with a peer or share toys on a more frequent basis. While it is reasonable to expect measurable goals, some are difficult to pin real numbers on. In the end, evaluating whether or not these types of goals are attained may be simply by unscientific everyday observation.

I’ve read the document, and it looks OK. What should I do next?

If you do not believe it is complete and/or adequate, request another meeting and use that time to improve upon the draft you have.

If you believe it to be complete and adequate, sign it, make a copy, and turn it into the school. Be sure to request a copy from the school, AFTER everyone has signed-off, so that you have a final signed copy. The copy you have with only your signature is of only limited value.

I’ve found things I don’t like on the document, but cannot get the school to make the changes I think are necessary? What do I do?

If you cannot truly reach an agreement and you believe your child’s additional needs are “reasonable and adequate”, then the next step is to have a brief conversation with the Special Education Director, the teacher, the direct service provider, the school principal, or whoever is closest to the child's concern. If you consider the issue to still be unresolved, contact the key staff person's supervisor. We have found during these moments that assistance from the Office of Special Populations (222.3505) can help you clarify the issue, while informing you of your rights. Every town/school has a liaison assigned from this office. Explain your issues and your remaining alternatives, which are basically the hiring of an attorney and possibly enlisting a mediator.

The threat alone might be enough to move them closer to a compromise you can live with. If that fails, time to call in the hired guns.

To further clarify some of the details of what you should expect to see on an IEP, here are some examples:

Example Strengths/Needs:

Sight word recognition, Recall memory, Follows routines independently, Develop sustained attention.

Example Goals:

Demonstrate improved reading skills at grade level

Become more independent and make his/her own choices when appropriate
To compose clear text in a variety of forms in order to be successful in the classroom setting

Example Accommodations:

Proximity seating away from obvious distractions, Directions should be repeated and clarified, Verbal directions should be paired with visual directions, Use visual supports: schedule, graphic organizers, checklists, cue cards; Modified directions

Remember that the IEP meeting itself is often mostly a negotiation, balancing the perceived needs of the child (by all parties present, and this is where opinions play in).

It is a good idea to make sure you have the names of all people present at the meeting. This is not a spectator sport and you should feel comfortable knowing everyone’s name and role. The information to be discussed is deeply personal and you should expect the location to be quiet and private. You should also ask anyone who does not belong to leave.

This whole thing makes me nervous. How can I keep my hands from shaking and my voice from reaching into the ultrasonic range?

Attire:

People think and behave differently based on appearances. Conservatively it would be advisable to dress business casual for these meetings. Shorts and a T-Shirt might be more comfortable, but might present a negative image.

Definitely bring the cell phone if you must, but either put the thing on vibrate or switch it off for the meeting. You can easily convey the wrong impression by suggesting that a call (any call, apparently) is more important to you than the matter at hand.

Attitude:

These meetings are negotiations. You are all there ostensibly negotiating on behalf of the child, but as parents, you are typically not going to be perceived as professionals with regard to educational matters. You are also at the disadvantage of having worked in this type of environment far less often than many of the people likely to be present. Even if you perceive this at the most subtle level, it may rankle you, and it’s best to remember that this is not what is important right now: You belong in this room, you are representing your child, and the focus is to get everyone to agree what is best for your child’s unique needs.

Some of us are strong negotiators and some of us are not. If you feel you may not be as effective as you could be with these negotiations, there are many ways to help you – from Toastmasters to self-help books on deal-making or negotiating. Prepare yourself so that you can focus on the important matters with the least amount of personal anxiety. This process is often going to be frustrating. Reduce the stresses of the process whenever you can, especially with the small stuff, so you can focus all your attention on the points that matter.

Obviously a “squeaky wheel” may get the grease and you might take an overly aggressive approach to get everything you demand…but you have these educators working with your child on a daily basis. Make certain that such tactics are effective for the short as well as the long term. Make certain that you and your child can live with the results as well as the tactics used to get what is necessary.

Additional Notes:

In general, if it is not written down, it cannot be relied upon to happen. Just because it is written into the IEP does not necessarily guarantee that it is happening. As they say, “Trust, but verify.”

One invaluable measure can be as simple as the use of a notebook, placed in the child’s book bag. This can be used to maintain communication on a weekly (if not daily) basis with the primary educator(s). The simple act of providing a small notebook for this function allows for a simple mechanism for the easy passing of information back and forth. Better still, have this stipulated in the IEP.

If you can, find other parents of children with special needs. A parent network can be incredibly valuable for sharing information amongst peers, to whatever degree of comfort you can work with. Parents of children older than yours can provide you with IEP suggestions that they know from experience work or do not. In turn, you can provide perspective and new information that others might not have learned of, or educational accommodations that they haven’t thought of.

Remember, there is no way to know what you don’t know. So be as open as you can to learn whenever and wherever possible.

If you discover an error here or a point we’ve missed or technique we’re unaware of – please email us.

Here are some additional resources:

http://www.specialed.us/autism/05/g_o.htm

http://www.specialed.us/issues-IEPissues/writingiep/writingindex.htm

http://www.specialed.us/autism/Autism.pdf