What is an IEP? IEP is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that refers to a special-education study program incorporated into a school’s curriculum.
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What is an IEP? (Individualized Education Program)
What is an IEP? IEP is an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that refers to a special-education study program incorporated into a school’s curriculum.
Linked to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a U.S. federal law, the IEP becomes a legal document establishing the child’s eligibility.
The disability must affect functioning at school for the child to be eligible. Parents must understand that the IEP process can be overwhelming, and both sides have the child’s growth, learning, and well-being in mind. The goal is to determine whether the child will benefit from special education and related services within the general education program.
The process of determining the child’s eligibility involves several steps of discovery. A discussion meeting with an IEP team needs to take place. The group includes parents, teachers, academic professionals, and specialized experts. Depending on the circumstances, the child may be asked to attend.
The meeting information gathered becomes the basis on which the IEP document is created. It provides a clear understanding of the child’s strengths and challenges. The details lay out the plan and show how the IEP program can help to improve and build the child’s learning skills.
Keep reading because it is vital to understand all of the components, commitments, and details necessary for developing an IEP document that carries out the program for the child’s benefit.
Education resources
Understanding the Program Guidelines
Guidelines help to explain the Individualized Education Program related to the process, procedure, and documentation. Because IEP programs are explicitly designed for the child, the IEP document is individualized. Parents need to understand the following:
- What is an IEP?
- IEPs purpose
- How will it carry out the special-education services
- Why is the IEP focused on the child’s progress
The education program descriptions and curriculums must meet the child’s needs. The details provide valuable insight by identifying additional special education classes or services needed to improve the child’s learning results.
Each of the following eligibility steps is mandatory:
- The child’s disability is referred to (recognized) by a professional.
- Parent consent for eligibility assessment is required.
- Team determination for the IEP is needed.
- IEP document compliance with services must be identified.
- Parents must sign the IEP documents.
- Ongoing reviews and annual renewal evaluations are binding.
IEPs must include required IDEA information and additional information requested by the state and local school system to verify compliance with federal or state law. Forms or data may be different per state or school.
Student Referrals and Evaluations
Some disabilities or health disorders interfere with a child’s learning ability. In some cases, the impairment is not always evident but noticeable to teachers or health professionals. When a teacher is aware of the child experiencing difficulties in the classroom, notices are sent to the school counselor. At this point, the counselor may request a:
- Parent conference.
- Student consultation.
- Professional observation of the student.
The information helps to determine steps for the student’s success in school. The student may be tested for a particular learning disability or impairment related to special education services.
Here are a few examples:
- Listening comprehension
- Writing Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Problem Solving
Most students prefer a traditional classroom setting where services can provide support. In some instances, special day classes on the school campus are necessary. The key is determining the related disability or health disorder causing the child to struggle in a regular school or classroom environment.
Causes may involve:
- ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
- Developmental delay
- Deaf or hard of hearing impairment
- Physical disabilities
Team Assembly
IEP teams are critical to developing the child’s Individualized Education Program. Parents may be the most valuable member due to personal connections with the child. They know a child’s personal qualities and learning desires better than anyone.
Personal information encompasses:
- Insight into how the child learns.
- Interests, hardships, and learning difficulties.
- Child’s challenges, limits, and achievements.
Parents need to listen to the other team members because there is a fine line between personal and professional findings. Their observations are from an educational perspective. They know IEPs and understand the educational process that helps the child in school.
A teacher currently working with the child is usually a team member. Special education teachers or health professionals provide support based on their experience of working with childhood disabilities. The person representing the school contributes authoritative information on how the school manages special education services, viable resources, and the capacity to commit to the needed changes within the school curriculum. Team members may also have multiple roles. For example, a school’s representative may have the professional expertise to interpret the child’s evaluation results.
The team’s purpose is to learn about the school’s performance:
- General curriculum in a regular classroom for disabled students.
- How special education teaching methods are incorporated.
- Aids, services, or changes may need to be implemented to accomplish the IEP program.
- Reports on the child’s daily classroom or subject learning achievements.
- Degree in which the child participates with nondisabled students – classroom – other school activities.
Each member brings expertise about the child’s needs and how IEP programs can address the educational challenges. Members will exchange information about instructional implications, evaluation formats, and education expectations associated with learning.
Terms, Conditions, and Protocol
IEPs, by law, must contain accurate and reliable information about the child and the educational program designed to meet their challenges. The listed data compiled in the team meeting became significant in creating the document.
- Current performance and accomplished level of education.
- Classroom test and assignment results to identify initial benchmarks of learning.
- Reachable and measured annual goals based on academic, social, physical, and behavior evaluations.
Schools will list information on their general education program and staff capabilities associated with special education and related services. Included is supplementary training of school personnel to support the child’s education.
- Involvement with non-disabled students.
- Participation in a state or district test; test modifications or denials to participate with an explanation.
- Parental notification on how IEP measurements are established and reported.
Although the IEP requirements do not state a fixed format, the document must contain all required information. Here’s another area where the team members, especially the school’s administrators and the faculty, can help. Most schools have a specific layout that includes all of the special education and service information, such as:
- Start dates and locations must be identified.
- Schedule of frequency.
- Duration of each session.
Since federal compliance laws monitor all IEP-approved programs, individual schools may also choose to include additional IEP information along with progress reports.
Preparing for Post School Lifestyles
For states that transfer the age of majority rights, transition services are vital to IEP documents. It is an essential component of preparing IEP students for the future. As early as 14 to 16, IEP study programs must identify the courses students need to reach their full academic potential post-school goal.
Services usually begin one year before the child reaches the age of majority. In the U.S., 18 years of age is the average age of the majority. Before students reach this point in the program, they need to understand the rights that will transfer at this age. They also need to plan as some students will transition to postsecondary colleges, vocational programs, or another program.
Implementing the Plan
Once the IEP is written and approved, the team is ready to take action. Parents must provide written permission so the school can provide special education services. Remember, the entire team is monitoring the student’s progress. Although IEP review meetings are annual, parents or teachers can request a meeting if the child is struggling and not meeting the scheduled benchmarks.
- It is possible to revise the IEP.
- Review meeting requests must be in writing and addressed to the school or district administrator.
- As the child’s needs change, parental roles may also need to be adjusted.
Team members receive a copy of the IEP plan and are expected to understand the responsibilities assigned. Schools allow the teams to coordinate, organize, and plan the services to orchestrate the IEP services to meet the general curriculum addressing the student’s special education needs.
- Parents need to maintain communication from home to school.
- Any difficulties or notable improvements need to be reported.
The IEP process is involved and filled with details to effectively address a child’s learning needs. At any time, if parents have concerns or questions about any part of the plan or process – do not hesitate to ask. The team will take the time to review the concerns and address the issues with a workable solution. From the beginning, parents are involved in transitioning phrases and play a vital role in tailoring the plan to meet the child’s needs.
