If you are a parent of a special needs child, you are all too familiar with IEPs (Individualized Education Plans)! This plan serves as the cornerstone to your child’s “special education” designed to meet the child’s individual needs (not the global needs of all) based on the disability as identified under the IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). IDEA is a federal law that ensures a free and appropriate education for eligible children with disabilities within the least restrictive environment (LRE). This includes special education services and related services to those children as well as early intervention services to infants and toddlers who qualify under the law. These services are accessible from birth to age 21 inclusive or until a child reaches 22 years of age. We will be focusing on school age children for purposes of this post.
You as a parent are an integral part of the team. You are not simply a spectator. Your input should be highly valued since you know your child better than anyone. The IEP team members will assess your child. A psychological assessment along with an educational evaluation will assess cognitive and intellectual abilities to determine if in fact there is a disability as delineated under the IDEA. Both a medical and social history will also be utilized to gather information about the “whole” child. This information is shared at an eligibility meeting to first determine whether your child has a disability and secondly to determine if the disability impacts the child educationally. This is the eligibility criteria for special education and related services. The eligibility meeting consists of all professionals who have administered testing and are presenting a report. An administrator (typically the assistant principal), a general education and special education teacher will also be present.
The IEP meeting consists of all the professionals on the team as well as you, the parent or guardian. The team includes the administrator and all the teachers/therapists that will be working with your child. The meeting begins by reviewing all the current testing and documenting the present level of performance of your child based on the assessments. Goals and objectives/benchmarks are generated by the team based on these results, then the appropriate services are determined BEFORE placement is decided. A draft of these goals and benchmarks should be shared with parents for input prior to the meeting so there are few surprises. This draft can be modified prior to the meeting. The goal would be to reach consensus before or at the meeting. A planning sheet would be a useful tool in this endeavor. Once the type of service and the amount of time are determined based on the child’s needs, placement within the LRE can be decided. I cannot stress enough that the goals/benchmarks drive both the services and the placement. Once placement is determined, accommodations, modifications, and statewide assessments can be discussed. Students should always receive the same accommodations on the assessments as they normally receive in the classroom daily.
Parents can request an IEP meeting at any time should there be a need to modify the document in any way. In the event of a disagreement or dispute, parents can request mediation or due process as a last resort. Effective communication and documentation should prevent the need for these in most cases but not always.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education.
While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs
While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs
While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs.
Parents can request an IEP meeting at any time should there be a need to modify the document in any way. In the event of a disagreement or dispute, parents can request mediation or due process as a last resort. Effective communication and documentation should prevent the need for these in most cases but not always.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs
The IEP meeting consists of all the professionals on the team as well as you, the parent or guardian. The team includes the administrator and all the teachers/therapists that will be working with your child. The meeting begins by reviewing all the current testing and documenting the present level of performance of your child based on the assessments. Goals and objectives/benchmarks are generated by the team based on these results, then the appropriate services are determined BEFORE placement is decided. A draft of these goals and benchmarks should be shared with parents for input prior to the meeting so there are few surprises. This draft can be modified prior to the meeting. The goal would be to reach consensus before or at the meeting. A planning sheet would be a useful tool in this endeavor. Once the type of service and the amount of time are determined based on the child’s needs, placement within the LRE can be decided. I cannot stress enough that the goals/benchmarks drive both the services and the placement. Once placement is determined, accommodations, modifications, and statewide assessments can be discussed. Students should always receive the same accommodations on the assessments as they normally receive in the classroom daily.
Parents can request an IEP meeting at any time should there be a need to modify the document in any way. In the event of a disagreement or dispute, parents can request mediation or due process as a last resort. Effective communication and documentation should prevent the need for these in most cases but not always.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs.
The IEP meeting consists of all the professionals on the team as well as you, the parent or guardian. The team includes the administrator and all the teachers/therapists that will be working with your child. The meeting begins by reviewing all the current testing and documenting the present level of performance of your child based on the assessments. Goals and objectives/benchmarks are generated by the team based on these results, then the appropriate services are determined BEFORE placement is decided. A draft of these goals and benchmarks should be shared with parents for input prior to the meeting so there are few surprises. This draft can be modified prior to the meeting. The goal would be to reach consensus before or at the meeting. A planning sheet would be a useful tool in this endeavor. Once the type of service and the amount of time are determined based on the child’s needs, placement within the LRE can be decided. I cannot stress enough that the goals/benchmarks drive both the services and the placement. Once placement is determined, accommodations, modifications, and statewide assessments can be discussed. Students should always receive the same accommodations on the assessments as they normally receive in the classroom daily.
Parents can request an IEP meeting at any time should there be a need to modify the document in any way. In the event of a disagreement or dispute, parents can request mediation or due process as a last resort. Effective communication and documentation should prevent the need for these in most cases but not always.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs.
You as a parent are an integral part of the team. You are not simply a spectator. Your input should be highly valued since you know your child better than anyone. The IEP team members will assess your child. A psychological assessment along with an educational evaluation will assess cognitive and intellectual abilities to determine if in fact there is a disability as delineated under the IDEA. Both a medical and social history will also be utilized to gather information about the “whole” child. This information is shared at an eligibility meeting to first determine whether your child has a disability and secondly to determine if the disability impacts the child educationally. This is the eligibility criteria for special education and related services. The eligibility meeting consists of all professionals who have administered testing and are presenting a report. An administrator (typically the assistant principal), a general education and special education teacher will also be present.
The IEP meeting consists of all the professionals on the team as well as you, the parent or guardian. The team includes the administrator and all the teachers/therapists that will be working with your child. The meeting begins by reviewing all the current testing and documenting the present level of performance of your child based on the assessments. Goals and objectives/benchmarks are generated by the team based on these results, then the appropriate services are determined BEFORE placement is decided. A draft of these goals and benchmarks should be shared with parents for input prior to the meeting so there are few surprises. This draft can be modified prior to the meeting. The goal would be to reach consensus before or at the meeting. A planning sheet would be a useful tool in this endeavor. Once the type of service and the amount of time are determined based on the child’s needs, placement within the LRE can be decided. I cannot stress enough that the goals/benchmarks drive both the services and the placement. Once placement is determined, accommodations, modifications, and statewide assessments can be discussed. Students should always receive the same accommodations on the assessments as they normally receive in the classroom daily.
Parents can request an IEP meeting at any time should there be a need to modify the document in any way. In the event of a disagreement or dispute, parents can request mediation or due process as a last resort. Effective communication and documentation should prevent the need for these in most cases but not always.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs.
You as a parent are an integral part of the team. You are not simply a spectator. Your input should be highly valued since you know your child better than anyone. The IEP team members will assess your child. A psychological assessment along with an educational evaluation will assess cognitive and intellectual abilities to determine if in fact there is a disability as delineated under the IDEA. Both a medical and social history will also be utilized to gather information about the “whole” child. This information is shared at an eligibility meeting to first determine whether your child has a disability and secondly to determine if the disability impacts the child educationally. This is the eligibility criteria for special education and related services. The eligibility meeting consists of all professionals who have administered testing and are presenting a report. An administrator (typically the assistant principal), a general education and special education teacher will also be present.
The IEP meeting consists of all the professionals on the team as well as you, the parent or guardian. The team includes the administrator and all the teachers/therapists that will be working with your child. The meeting begins by reviewing all the current testing and documenting the present level of performance of your child based on the assessments. Goals and objectives/benchmarks are generated by the team based on these results, then the appropriate services are determined BEFORE placement is decided. A draft of these goals and benchmarks should be shared with parents for input prior to the meeting so there are few surprises. This draft can be modified prior to the meeting. The goal would be to reach consensus before or at the meeting. A planning sheet would be a useful tool in this endeavor. Once the type of service and the amount of time are determined based on the child’s needs, placement within the LRE can be decided. I cannot stress enough that the goals/benchmarks drive both the services and the placement. Once placement is determined, accommodations, modifications, and statewide assessments can be discussed. Students should always receive the same accommodations on the assessments as they normally receive in the classroom daily.
Parents can request an IEP meeting at any time should there be a need to modify the document in any way. In the event of a disagreement or dispute, parents can request mediation or due process as a last resort. Effective communication and documentation should prevent the need for these in most cases but not always.
Pete Wright is a special education attorney. He built his career on representing parents who were unable to successfully reach a compromise with the school division on specific issues. These are his words of wisdom: “If it was not written down, it was not said. If it was not written down, it did not happen.” Always have documentation of what occurred in a meeting. You can take notes or ask to record the meeting if necessary.
One final thought to remember; a free and appropriate education does not mean an optimal education. It is a guarantee that your child will be given the appropriate instruction and services needed to benefit from the education being provided. Most parents are reasonable and are not asking for a designer education that is beyond the purview of the public-school setting. While you do pay taxes, your child is receiving a public-school education with all its limitations, not a private school education. While your expectations should be reasonable, you do have a right to a quality education for your children. While many parents feel exhausted and burnt out from advocating for their children, it is crucial to stay in the fight to ensure your child gets what he or she needs to succeed. This is where an advocate can help you in navigating the special education maze. It is not a simple task and certainly not for the faint of heart. From my perspective, the real fight should be in the first few years to ensure a great foundation for your child. After grades K-2, children are no longer learning to read but reading to learn which is why it is imperative to get them the necessary services to accomplish this hurdle. In doing so, you are being proactive and preventing the gaps from getting wider as the years progress. This may be a good time to hire a tutor to assist in reinforcing specific foundational skills that need to be mastered.
Stay tuned for next month’s blog post on 504 plans and how they differ from IEPs
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