IEP experience

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I used to work at the national clearinghouse for information for families with

children with disabilities. This group, NICHCY, has undergone several

iterations, with different names and agendas from funders... however, that said

they have the most excellent information about special education law and a group

of extraordinary people behind that information.

Visit them online at NICHCY.org.

or call them toll-free at (800) 695-0285.

Their information specialists will help answer your questions and point you

toward groups in your area of the US who can also help you. They have English

and Spanish speaking specialists.

I used to write for their website - articles and a " what's new " column, as well

as contributed to their " what works " database during its infancy.

My own children have/had IEPs.

Here are a few of my general suggestions.

Try to get eligibility for your children under the category of " other health

impaired " . In most states, this will allow your child to get ANY service

available. Sometimes with an eligibility such as " physical disability " you are

more limited. In my state, Virginia, PD teachers (used to have) and may still

have less education in special education and making accommodations. Also, here

PD programs tend to be in special centers, and cut off from the general

population.

If stamina is the issue, frequent breaks can be written into your child's plan.

If temperature extremes are troublesome, plans can be put in place to allow them

to go somewhere as needed. Usually PE can be adapted by specialists in " APE " ,

adapted physical education. Often these folks are great at doing this and

participation in a general ed PE class can be successful and NOT troublesome.

Another important thing to do is to make sure that your child is evaluated and

has MEASURABLE baselines incorporated into their present level of functioning,

as well as, ways to measure progress other than " teacher observation " or

" classroom tests/grades " . That is the only way you can tell if you child is

making progress and if the goals are set up for an acceptable level of

instruction. As for goals, we used to use the " potato " rule. If a potato could

meet the goal, then that is not an appropriate educational activity. Don't

laugh, those types of goals were offered as a yearly occurrence.

Also, you will see goals stating " Suzie will do activity X, with 70% accuracy on

4 out of 5 trials " . That still doesn't quite make sense to me and is used

indiscriminately... the joke in the special ed parent community is the goal of

crossing the street independently... just think about what that 1 of the 5

trials that failed would be!

Anyway, I have gone on and on... and probably not answered your questions. I

will be happy to answer your specific questions... just ask away!

IEPs CAN work. It is just takes WORK to get them to WORK.

Barbara