How to: IEPs Edition

 One of the most important components of special education is the Individualized Education Plan (or IEP for short). If you are a parent of a child with special needs, or if you are a part of the interdisciplinary team  in school, you will no doubt run across an IEP at some point... 

But what is it??

Simply put, an IEP is a plan tailored to a child with identified special needs that helps compensate for any educational or physical deficits by creating modifications within the child's school day. This is typically several pages long, and it can be presented online or via hard copy. Specific IEP modifications may include:

• Speech or language services
• occupational therapy
• physical therapy
• specialized instruction in one or more subjects
• classroom modifications (ex: preferential seating, extended time on tests, access to a paraprofessional, etc.)

How is a child deemed eligible for an IEP?

IEPs are usually put in place through a combination of a doctor's diagnosis, skilled observation (which could later lead to standardized testing in areas deemed appropriate), teacher and/or parent referrals, or other similar extenuating circumstances. 

• IEP Criteria:

This flowchart from "A Day in our Shoes" is a handy resource that breaks down the components for eligibility:

What is an IEP meeting like?

Before I entered graduate school, I had never had much experience with an IEP or IEP meetings. In fact, until my externship, I had never really seen an IEP. For many individuals, the process can be intimidating, so let's start from the beginning:

Components of an IEP:

1. Current Skill Level - this lets everyone know at what level the child is functioning in academics, social-emotional skills, gross motor, fine motor, language, and interpersonal abilities. Think of this as the "baseline" portion.
2. Annual Goals - based on the current levels of functioning, measurable goals in areas of need will be written by each member of the team. Not every area of functioning may warrant a goal (for instance, the child may have language needs but no gross motor issues), but if it does, each team member is responsible for writing their subset of goals. 
3. Progress Monitoring - this is an explanation of HOW goals will be tracked and at what level they will be considered mastered - through standardized tests, daily tracking, or some other method. This may include quarterly progress reports as well. 
4. Special Education Services - This is a more detailed breakdown of WHAT special education services will be provided (ex: special education instruction, xxx number of minutes in speech and language therapy, etc.) and HOW it will help your child's needs be met.
5. Duration of Services - IEPs are an annual document that go into effect on set dates once every school year. Thus, an IEP provides the start and end dates for the IEP. Within these dates, the IEP will state how many minutes per week a child is allotted each service (ex: 30 minutes of language therapy per week, 600 minutes of special education per week, 60 minutes of physical therapy per week, etc.)
6. Participation in the Mainstream Classroom - you may hear the term "least restrictive environment" thrown around, which basically refers to the amount of time a child can be included in mainstream vs. special ed classes. This section specifies the number of minutes in regular education classes and why those minutes are warranted. 
7. Testing Accommodations - this is a statement of all the local and state testing your child is eligible for (think MAP testing or iReady) and whether or not they can or will participate. If they participate, accommodations for testing will be listed here (ex: different testing environment, test being read to them, etc.)
8. Transitional Goals and Services -  beginning at age 14, children with IEPs will have a section on "transitional goals and services" designed to help them succeed or achieve goals beyond high school. This could include job training, plans to attend college, or other activities of daily living that a child will need to know as an adult. 

For a more thorough analysis of the IEP components, visit here.

Present Individuals in an IEP Meeting: 

• The child's parent or guardian
• The regular education teacher (or teachers)
• The special education teacher (if the child has academic needs)
• The speech-language pathologist (if the child has speech, language, or communication needs)
• The occupational therapist (if the child has fine motor needs)
• The physical therapist (if the child has gross motor needs)
• School administrators, such as the principal
• A process coordinator (if applicable)

For more information, refer to this Missouri guide.

Additionally, check out this sample IEP and breakdown here.

Or, see this IEP basics infographic by "ELearning Infographics":

If you'd like to take a deeper dive into IEP advocacy resources, check out these sites:

Abilities First

Missouri Special Education Advocates

This information may seem overwhelming, but remember these key takeaways:

1. Your child's success is important to everyone on the team.
2. It is ok to ask for clarification or express concerns.
3. Special services are nothing to be ashamed of; just because your child has different needs, they are not bad needs.
4. YOU are your child's most IMPORTANT advocate.
5. Your child deserves to succeed and receive a quality education.

I'm rooting for you! Hopefully this is helpful resource for you and your child! 

Sincerely, 

Micaela

The Speechie Godmother