Parent’s Guide to the IEP

Individual Education Plan for children with Special Needs

MissionPublicSchools

What is an IEP? What is the parent’s role? Student’s role? How does planning work? What does reporting look like for a child

with an IEP? What are goals and objectives, adaptations

and modifications? Look at the IEP template. Questions you may have about the IEP that

we did not cover.

Welcome ParentsShape of Presentation

What is an IEP? Who gets an IEP? Why does my child need one and what is it for? What is a case manager? How do I know if the plans are working? What if I don’t agree with the goals? When does an IEP happen? What if the IEP is not being followed? Who can I bring to the IEP meeting? What’s the difference between adapted and modified? When do I make the choice between adapted and

modified program? Will my child graduate if they have an IEP?

Commonly asked Questions?

When schools and parents share their knowledge, children benefit. A good IEP, developed by the parents and the school working together for the child, affirms the uniqueness of every child and helps the child learn.

An IEP is a collaborative process

An IEP is a support tool designed for students with special needs to ensure they have an educational program that meets their specific needs.

It identifies any additions, changes to the regular program that should be made for each individual child.

Outlines adaptations and /or modifications and the special services that are to be provided for the student.

It is reviewed regularly and updated at least annually

What is an Individual Education Plan (IEP) ?

Any student with special needs designation that has one or more of the following:

A disability of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional or behavioural nature;

A learning disability, or

Exceptional gifts or talents

Who has an IEP?

Parents may find it very hard to get involved in service planning due to practical issues such as childcare, time and money, and also because they may feel they will not be listened to anyway and it will be a waste of their time (Ball 1997, page 21).

Ever feel like this?

You know more about your child than anyone else.

The school needs this information to tailor its teaching to your child’s way of learning.

A good IEP brings together your knowledge about your child with the school’s knowledge about teaching.

Keep track of the people who support your child in the community and school who by nature of this relationship create the IEP team.

Parent’s role in the IEP

Talk with the teacher and case manager working together to create a plan

Bring up concerns you are uncertain about with the classroom teacher

Bring notes you’ve made about school work, significant events, even hunches about your child’s educational program to refer to at the meeting.

keep a journal at home where you can record questions or notes about school concerns or comments.

Listen carefully at the meeting and use the journal to take notes

Bring someone with you who can provide support for you. Come with an open mind about the reasons for the actions

and responses of others involved with the child at the school.

What can I do as a parent?

Children are not required but are entitled to attend an IEP meeting.

Let the teacher know of your wish to involve your child.

If your child wants to attend, inform them of what to expect and who may be at the meeting.

Review the existing IEP with your child especially areas of strength and learning style

Have your child think about what goals he/she may want to work on at school.

Child’s role in the IEP

If you and your child decide not to participate you can involve your child by asking at home about goals, strategies and outcomes.

You can review the IEP with input from your child at the school with the teacher.

Involving your child helps them to advocate for themselves.

The more comfortable our children are with their abilities or disabilities, the more they will be able to act as their own advocate.

What if my child does not want to take part?

Use the IEP Planning handout provided with questions about your child and how they learn when preparing for an IEP meeting.

Involve others in the school and community who can assist in the planning for your child: case manager (LST or LAT), principal or vice principal, school counselor, district based personnel.

Other individuals who have experience supporting your child.

Planning

You can provide information in a number of ways:

Review the previous year’s IEP and provide your thoughts and ideas about what you want to see for your child.

Fill out the IEP Parent interview form and return it to the school.

Have a conversation with the teacher over the phone or by email, using the PRE IEP parent interview form or IEP draft or previous IEP.

Do I have to attend the IEP meeting?

May be assigned by the school district to help the teacher to carry out the responsibilities and expectations set out by the IEP.

May provide direct services to the student ranging from personal care to assisting with instructional programs

May assist in implementing the educational program

Will perform health related procedures for which they must be given child-specific training by qualified health professionals. (nurse, OT/PT)

Education Assistants (EA’s)…

What do we do when the IEP is not being followed or you are not being consulted?

What happens when our views of child’s needs differ from those of the school?

Emotional responses and reactions are natural when advocating for our children.

Request to set up a meeting ASAP. Revisit the process that was set up at the

IEP meeting Address the conflict and find a resolution

When things go wrong

Let’s take a look at the IEP

This next section will review the Elements of the IEP in more detail

Strengths/special interests Needs (align with Ministry designation)

Current level of performance: what skills does the student have now? Student can…is able to…

Goals for the term/year aligned with the student’s needs in a Goal or Domain Area

Elements of an IEP

Academic, Behaviour, Communication, Functional Academics, Health Factors, Independence, Physical Functioning (Gross or Fine Motor),

self determination, social/emotional functioning, social

interaction or Transition

Goal or Domain area

Goals and strategies to help your child learn that are different from the expected learning outcomes set out in the provincial curriculum guide for a course, subject and grade

Objectives that are specific, measureable, relevant, and timely. What will the student achieve towards the goal, where, when , or under what conditions & with what criteria for success. Student will...

Follows the SMART rule.

Goals and objectives

The S.M.A.R.T. rule is used to shape the objectives into Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented (what the student will do), Realistic and Relevant (to the student’s needs and diagnosis), and Time-bound objectives.

What is the S.M.A.R.T. Rule?

The decision to modify all or some parts of courses or subjects is a significant one and would not happen without…

extensive consultation with the school based team, student services and parents

and not until comprehensive adaptations to instruction and assessment have been implemented.

When would IEP goals be modified?

Adapted: Students are working on regular course work with changes in the way the prescribed learning outcomes (PLO’s) are taught or assessed.

Modified: Students are working on learning outcomes specifically developed to meet the student’s particular needs and may be different from the PLO’s set out in the provincial curriculum guide.

How is the curriculum (PLO) adapted or modified for your child?

The monitored plan-who will do what, when, �how?

How does this look in the classroom?� For e.g. CT will…..ST will…..EA will…..�

Services and resources that are required to help your child be successful and achieve learning outcomes, either prescribed or individualized

Strategies, Programs, Materials, Resources

Ways to support and track your child’s progress using a list of adapted materials and methods to assess and monitor.

How will you know the objectives are met? What tools will be used?

Term Updates Time line for implementation, progress

check and final review date

Method of Evaluation

The IEP outlines a plan to help students move from one setting to another or from one grade to another

Transitions can be challenging for students with special needs from home to Kindergarten;

Elementary to Middle to Secondary; School to school; And school to adulthood. Careful planning can help the child and the

families through these transitions.

Transitions

Parents Guide to Individual Education Planning BC School Superintendents Association

Individual Education Plans: A Guide for Parents by Catherine Abraham and Joyce Gram from BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils

Supporting Meaningful Consultation with Parents BC Council of Administrators of Special Education

Resources used

What is an IEP? Who gets an IEP? Why does my child need one and what is it for? What is a case manager? How do I know if the plans are working? What if I don’t agree with the goals? When does an IEP happen? What if the IEP is not being followed? Who can I bring to the IEP meeting? What’s the difference between adapted and modified? When do I make the choice between adapted and

modified program? Will my child graduate if they have an IEP?

Commonly asked Questions?