Summer can be the best time for academic assessments
Summer is here! For your kids, it means a respite from the work and studying of school, and long, fun days filled with outdoor play, movies, video games and friends. However, as a parent, you know its only a few months until your child returns to school. As it happens, for many parents who requested academic testing and assistance over the school year, the assessment and services are postponed over the summer months. I want to help you become more acquainted with terms and processes involved with academic assistance.
Last post, I talked about Section 504 plans. This time let’s discuss IEPs.
What is an IEP?
An Individualized Education Plan is a legal, living document that describes what a child’s learning challenges are and how the school is addressing them. It spells out what modifications to the curriculum (i.e., what is being taught) a child needs for their education in order to be successful in school. It includes present levels of performance, annual goals and benchmarks for measuring success, accommodations, and minutes per week of services.
Why do kids need IEPs?
When students have an identified disability that adversely affects their educational achievement, then an IEP is required by Federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Students in every state can have an IEP. It is for students who need the curriculum substantially modified from the general education curriculum in order to be successful.
The list of disabilities under the IDEA include:
Autism
Deaf/Blindness
Developmental Delay (for ages 3-9)
Hearing Impairment
Orthopedic Impairment
Speech/Language Impairment
Visual Impairment
Intellectual Disability
Deafness
Emotional Disability
Multiple Disabilities
Other Health Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Specific Learning Disability
How do kids get an IEP?
A parent, teacher, or special education team member could request an evaluation if they suspect a disability. Once an evaluation is requested, the school must respond within 14 school days whether or not they agree to an evaluation. The team will come together at a domain meeting to discuss what they know about the student, what further information is needed, and who will be collecting the information. Team members include the parent, general education teacher, a special education teacher, an administrator, school psychologist, and school social worker. Depending on the student, other clinicians may be included in the evaluation, such as an occupational therapist, physical therapist, vision specialist, hearing specialist, school nurse, or speech/language pathologist.
Parents have to sign consent to conduct the evaluation. The next step is for the team to conduct the evaluation, and they have up to 60 school days to carry it out and write an IEP if the student is found eligible. Parents are provided with draft reports prior to an eligibility determination meeting, where the evaluation results are presented and discussed as a team. All team members, including the parents, have a say as to whether or not they feel the child needs specialized services and under which of the above mentioned categories. What category depends on what the student needs, and the needs will drive the services in the IEP.
What happens once a kid has an IEP?
When a child has an IEP, they get the modifications and accommodations that they need (identified in the evaluation) in order to be successful in school. A special education teacher serves as a case manager, and will keep track of progress and share data with the parents at report card times. At minimum, the IEP team will meet and discuss the annual goals once a year, where new goals will be written based on progress and current needs. Every three years, a student will undergo a reevaluation to see if they still qualify for special education services (the goal is to close the gap and catch the student up to their same age peers’ academic levels). Important: a parent has the right to request an IEP meeting at any time if they feel there are issues impacting their child and they want to get the team back together to discuss.
I think my child has a disability, what do I do next?
Stay tuned for my next post, about how to ask for IEP and 504 meetings. There are some key people you need to talk to to get the ball rolling. I look forward to helping you out and making sure your child gets what they need from your school.
If you have any questions, or need any support with anything IEP, 504 or accommodations related, please contact me at richard@chinpsyd.com
