Is this the first school year that your child will be officially a part of a Special Education program? There are a lot of things that parents need to learn. One important thing to become familiar with is the IEP. It is a plan that guides what will happen with your child when he or she is at school.
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. It is a written plan that is designed to meet the specific special educational needs that your child has. All students who are part of a Special Education program are supposed to have an IEP. It is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
There is a process involved in creating an IEP. Sometimes, the process starts when a teacher notices that a student is struggling. Other times, a parent can request that the process begin. Data will be gathered about your child. The purpose is to determine exactly what your child needs.
Information can be gathered from a conference with you, the parent, or with your child. There will be an observation of your child while he or she is in the classroom. Often, this is done by the school psychologist, or by a person who is in charge of the Special Education program. Your child’s academic performance will also be evaluated, (in terms of task completion, attention, behavior in the classroom, ability to complete and turn in homework, and more).
The next step often involves a meeting between you, the parent, and the team that will be helping your child at school. The meeting might, or might not, include your child, (but usually will).
Together, you, your child’s teacher, the school psychologist, the principal, and other staff will come up with a plan that defines what your child’s academic goals will be for this school year, as well as how to achieve them. This could mean that some assignments will be shortened, or that your child will get extra time to complete them, (for example).
The IEP will also define exactly how staff will respond when your child exhibits problematic behavior. Parents must give permission for staff to restrain their child. You do not have to give permission for that to occur. It is up to you. The IEP might say something like: “Staff will remind Johnny to get back on task when he goes off task by quietly walking up to his desk and tapping on the corner of the desk”. This lets you, and your child, know what to expect.
It is vitally important that parents attend the first IEP meeting and the follow-up meetings that will happen from time to time to “tune-up” the plan. Attending gives you the opportunity to know exactly what the IEP includes, and gives you time to ask whatever questions you may have.
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