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September 06, 2006
IEPS AND HOW THEY HELP YOU GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
by Margo Richter
Going back to school after summer break is not easy for the kids or the parents. Children have had a lot of leisure time and now it's back to structure in the classroom. There are a lot of questions about what are IEP Plans. This is a term that parents with children who have special needs, including but not limited to ADHD hear all the time and should come familiar with. Learning about the IEP is important.
An IEP is what most public school districts use. IEP is an acronym for Individualized Education Program. Every child in need of Special Education should have an IEP. According to the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY), the definition of IEP "is a written statement of the educational program designed to meet your child's individual needs. The IEP has two general purposes: to set practical goals for your child; and to discuss the services that the school district will provide for your child." NICHCY has an excellent description of the IEP process on their web site ( www.nichcy.org ). To get an IEP, a parent/guardian should make a written request to the school district asking for this service. You may wish to request a written plan consisting of goals for the student and strategies to reach those goals using assistive technology (AT), and an evaluation of a specific technology to determine its usefulness for your child. Schools are legally obligated to respond to this request, even though they are not required to give it their immediate approval.
The main purpose of the AT is to determine your child can profit from advanced assistive technology into her/his academic plan as a strategy to reach the goals stated in your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP). Once each year, there will be a meeting held to review all the progress your child has made and to plan for the following years IEP. After you have had the meeting, the IEP is instated and your child will have in some cases modified lesson plans, occupational therapy, speech therapy, behavior modification plan, or reading plans. Most school districts in the U.S. have a team of personal that will meet to help plan the IEP, they have:
* one regular education teacher; one special education teacher;
* a representative of the public school who can provide or supervise the provision of special Ed, who has knowledge of the general curriculum, and who is informed about the resources that the school system has available;
* an individual who can interpret the results of the evaluation and who can discuss what may be necessary for the student;
* the parent/guardian; and
* The student (when appropriate).
Go prepared. Bring any information from your child's doctor and take lots of notes. I have even brought a mini tape recorder with me to ensure I don't miss any thing. Don't be afraid to ask questions and share ideas that might be helpful for your child. School districts do not want any student left behind, so the IEP will help ensure you child will have the best education possible.
Posted by ernestpr at September 6, 2006 10:52 AM
Comments
Thanks so much for provding parents with very pertinant information because accurate information will lead parents to making the best decisions for their children. There is nothing more fearful for parents then when they don't to how to get help for their children so pointing one in the right direction can make all the difference. IEP's can be very confusing so going into the school armed with information puts parents ahead of the game. Thanks again :)
Posted by: Eleanor at September 17, 2006 12:55 PM
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