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4 Tips to Prepare for Your Child’s Next IEP meeting

If you managed to survive your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting unscathed you deserve a MAJOR AWARD. Even if you walked out of that room full of teachers, therapists, and school administrators wanting to hurl, there’s hope.

IEPs are fluid. This is not an end game. Your Child’s IEP “is not a form” according to Supreme Court Justice Chief John Roberts.

Other than your child, you are the most important person on your child’s IEP team. That’s because you know your child best. Likely, you’ve become an expert on your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

If you’re reading this, I know you’ve spent countless hours scouring the Internet for expert advice on inclusion and educational best practices.

Still, an IEP meeting can often feel like an episode of David and Goliath. You playing the part of David.

So, now is the time to get organized. Rally the troops, because this year’s IEP meeting is going to be EPIC!

Here’s 4 steps to make your child’s IEP meeting run as smoothly as possible: 

  1. Never go alone to an IEP meeting!
    • An IEP team meeting can include countless school personnel, often with their own agenda.
    • If you can afford it, find an non-attorney special education advocate in your area by searching the Council of Attorney and Advocates directory here. A good advocate can cost you anywhere from $200-$1000, but it may be worth your weight in gold to have someone in your corner who knows the law.
    • If you can’t afford an advocate, invite an friend, pastor, neighbor….anyone who is less emotionally invested than you are and who can take good notes.

2. Organize all those documents CHRONOLOGICALLY!

  • As a former teacher, I realize failure to document can come back to bite you in the “you know what.” Keep all of your child’s records – from evaluations to letters home to IEPs to that adorable little Mother’s Day painting he made you this year. But how?
  • First, go out and buy the BIGGEST 3-ring binder you can find.
  • Display the most INNOCENT picture you can find of your little rugrat on the front, and have a bio of how amazing he is on the inside cover. Click here to learn how to make a bio like my son’s. Bring this with you to EVERY IEP meeting (make sure you hold the folder picture-side out–for all to see)
  • MOST IMPORTANT: Organize your documents chronologically! I’ve tried creating categories for my son’s IEP folder, but I soon realized the categories are ENDLESS (IEP, ETR, Behavior, Communications, Resources, etc). Also, some of the documents could really be under more than one category (which category do you choose then?).

  • My best advice, create a table of contents with the following: date, author, type, significance. Number each document and place them in order of date. Then you can quickly look back at your table of contents to find your child’s “1st grade ETR”. 3. Save all communications!

    • Communication is EVERYTHING! Save it all: emails, letters home (see step 1), even text messages.
    • At the end of each email I send to school personnel I always write: “please add this to Troy’s educational record.” Emails can often get lost in the ether, but they can be very powerful if you need to make a case for a change in your child’s IEP later. Make sure you make them a part of your child’s official record.
    • The easiest way to save emails if you don’t have a physical copy and don’t want to print it out, is through email files. Most emails (I use Gmail) allow you to create folders.
    • I have a folder for Troy in my email, and even have sub-folders (for behavior, IEP, and therapies).
    • Any time I get an email I save it in the appropriate folder. I even email text messages to my email to save.
    • This is especially important if, for instance, you keep getting an email about your child’s behavior. Keeping a paper trail (or in this case, an email trail) will be crucial for getting your child the help they need. Most schools require evidence of a continued problem before they’ll shell out money for say a formal behavior assessment.

      4. Save all resources in LiveBinders!

      • I learned about LiveBinders from a dear friend who is a professor of bicultural-bilingual studies (so you can use this for non-IEP topics too). If you love reading up on expert advice about Down syndrome, inclusion, special needs law, anything really…then you will be SIMPLY AMAZED by LiveBinder!
      • It’s an online, find-it-whenever-and-wherever-you-need-it organizational masterpiece. My “binders” include: inclusion and law resources, letters to school, modifications to curriculum, literacy, APPs, Introducing Troy to classmates
      • Whenever I find something spectacular on the Internet, I copy the URL and paste it into the appropriate “binder.” Then whenever I have an issue with a particular topic, I can go back to my binder and find resources.
      • You can have up to 6 FREE binders before LiveBinder starts charging you. Check it out!

Let me know what you think of these 4 tips below. And tell us how you make your child’s IEP meeting run like a well-oiled machine! Comment below.

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Extended School Year: A Necessary Part of Inclusion?

My son has a late October birthday, so he’ll spend three years total in preschool. In addition, he’s receiving Extended School Year services this summer. 

It wasn’t easy trying to convince the school that my son needed extra help in the summer. Even though Extended School Year (ESY) is a protection under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), many school districts push back when parents request it. ESY is a service designed to help students with disabilities maintain all the skills they learned during the school year. The service should be in the child’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and individualized to their needs. These last two aspects of ESY is where many schools seems to stray from the law. Many ESY services can be far from home, not with typical peers, or not individualized. Depending on where you live you may have heard a variation of our school’s argument against ESY:

“ESY is for students who’ve fallen behind. Troy doesn’t need ESY.”

My son at school this summer

This was the argument my son’s teacher made the first time I brought up ESY. Being a new mom, and not yet knowledgeable about the law, I acquiesced.

But the summer after Troy’s first year in preschool, I attended a Wright’s Law Seminar. The seminar highlighted special education law and IDEA. ESY came up and it piqued my interest. Peter Wright mentioned that a student doesn’t have to fall behind to get summer support. I also received several special education law books, that confirmed what Wright said.

Year 2 of preschool, I was ready to argue for ESY!

In January, I asked the teacher again about Extended School Year for Troy. She used the same argument as the previous year. Understandably, ESY costs school districts money and time; something that most don’t have. Although I love his teacher and the services my son had received so far, I wasn’t about to back down.

My son practicing calendar time during ESY

I made sure I got everything in writing, and I mentioned that by law Troy could receive ESY for “emerging skills” that he had not mastered on his Individualized Education Plan (IEP). I asked that the school begin collecting data to see if Troy in fact needed ESY. The teacher forwarded my email on to the principal. During our IEP meeting I received push back, but they admitted he had not mastered his IEP goals and ESY may be an option.

Secretly, I did a happy dance! It’s not that I’m super excited about Troy spending time at school this summer, but I wanted to set a precedent. 

On his way to summer class

We’re military and move a lot. I wanted to make sure ESY was in his IEP from the very start of his educational career. This might make it easier to get summer services at the next school Troy attends.

Plus, even though Troy is just in preschool, he still needs extra help. I liked the idea of Troy practicing routines, classroom behavior, and working on skills like conversational speech and math in the summer. Extra help in the summer makes inclusion more seamless during the school year.

Then my local Down syndrome mom friends started asking me how I got ESY for Troy. I explained my approach and pretty soon they started asking for ESY services for their child.

We started a local Down syndrome ESY Revolution! 

The teachers and administrators realized we were working together. Pretty soon all three students with Down syndrome were grouped together into a cute threesome in my son’s teacher’s class. They’re all working on different skills, but Troy’s teacher can use the group setting to make the summer class more like a real class. It’s worked so far!

Does your child get Extended School Year services? Do you think it’s sufficient and makes a difference in your child’s progress? Let me know about your experience below!

 

 

 

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Accommodations Mean Access

Before I understood the process of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), I assumed IEP goals were the end all, be all. In fact, my own son’s preschool IEP includes solid IEP goals, but leaves much to be desired for specific accommodations. An IEP must include any peer-reviewed research techniques that will allow the child to meet IEP goals and make progress in the general education curriculum.

Today I’m going to tackle accommodations as a way to access the general education curriculum and make progress on IEP goals. It’s important to note the difference between modifications and accommodations. Modifications change what a child is taught or is expected to learn, whereas the accommodations only changes how the student learns the required curriculum.

Read Related Post: Building the Perfect IEP

For my son with Down syndrome, who is entering kindergarten, I’ve decided not to include any modifications to his IEP yet. I want to give him a chance to learn the same material as his typical kindergarten peers, and meet the same high expectations. I do plan to advocate for modifications when appropriate, and Nicole Eredic’s new book below will help guide me in the future I’m sure.

Read Related Post: 5 Tips for Including Students with Down Syndrome in a General Education Classroom

The following are a list of accommodations I’m advocating for in my son’s kindergarten IEP. This doesn’t include the specially designed instruction or staff training I’m advocating for, which are equally important areas of the IEP. Please feel free to use any that may be helpful for your own child.

  1. Troy will use a visual/picture schedule to assist him to be more independent in following directions and routines and play appropriately with peers across educational settings.
  2. Troy will use assistive technology programs to assist in reaching speech, OT, behavior, and academic goals.
  3. Troy will have access to low-tech writing tools like a slant board, small and short writing utensils, pencil grip, letter and number tiles.
  4. Use manipulatives to make abstract objects concrete.
  5. Troy will have extended time to complete tasks.
  6. Teacher will use wait time (up to 10-20 seconds) to allow Troy to process a question and give and an answer.
  7. A visual timer will be used for transitions.
  8. Troy will have an extra set of classroom textbooks or workbooks available at home.
  9. Troy will have access to audio recordings of books.
  10. Troy will use vocabulary cards that includes the definition and a picture representation of the word.
  11. Troy will have a week’s worth of homework available at the beginning of the week.
  12. Troy will have available extra practice worksheets for at home use to reinforce the curriculum.
  13. Troy will have directions broken down into single steps and repeated.
  14. Troy will have frequent redirection, visual cues, and prompting for inattention.
  15. Troy will have a safe, temporary “escape” area within the general education classroom to take a short break.
  16. 14- point font will be used for all assignments, with colors in high contrast
  17. Troy will use adaptive seating (without restraints), as well as either a copy of the book being read or a sensory object during whole instruction time. Troy may have a hard time seeing and understanding a book being read at the front of class. An extra copy of the book will help with visual perception and attention problems.
  18. Troy will use letter and number and picture symbols or tiles to assist in answering questions and as an alternative to writing.
  19. Troy will have peer buddies to help him reach IEP and curriculum goals.
  20. Troy will use alternative means to demonstrate what he knows (for example: assistive technology, letter tiles, pointing to answers rather than verbally saying or writing the answer, recording his answer instead of standing in front of class to speak).
  21. Consultation between the OT, staff, family and any private therapists regarding support of Troy’s fine motor needs
  22. Parent will be given monthly updates on Troy’s progress towards IEP goals and objectives.
  23. Visual aid to support safety in the classroom (for example, a stop sign on the door to indicate that Troy’s not allowed permission to leave).
  24. Regular bathroom breaks. Troy often will not tell you if he needs to go, so it must be scheduled throughout the day.
  25. Troy will receive positive, corrective feedback on his speech sound pattern attempts as well as visual and verbal cues by all staff and across school environments to promote use of expressive language and increase intelligibility.
  26. Use of a visual positive behavior chart created by teacher and parents to allow for ongoing, daily communication of expectations and performance during Troy’s school day.
  27. Troy will use peer modeling, visual cues, and repetition of directions for classes like art, music, and P.E., as well as during more unstructured times like lunch, sitting in assemblies, and recess.
  28. Troy will have access to a classroom paraprofessional that will promote independence and safety.
  29. Accommodations for Lockdown and Evacuation Drills: Troy will have a specially assigned adult to monitor him during all evacuations or emergency drills. Troy will have access to a safe location close to his classroom for evacuations and emergency drills, as running a far distance may be prohibitive. He will have access to a sensory object to calm him down during tense situations.

I’d love to hear your ideas for accommodations in younger grades for students with disabilities. Please share your ideas below!

 

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How My Twin Sons’ Tee-Ball Games Became Great Practice for Inclusion

Like many 4-year-olds, my twin boys, Hunter and Troy, love baseball! But when it came time to sign them up for tee-ball, I couldn’t help but be anxious. 

Typically, parents wouldn’t bat an eye at signing their twin boys up for the same tee-ball team, but our situation is not so typical. Troy has Down syndrome, and I wasn’t sure how he would be received.

Should I call and tell the coach that one of my boys’ has a cognitive disability? During the first practice should I describe Troy’s low tone, and how it may impact his ability to keep up? During the games should I apologize for my son’s performance?

In the end, I didn’t say anything. 

We play backyard baseball all the time. Troy is as good, if not better, than his typical twin brother at hitting, throwing, and catching the ball, which is to say they both suck as much as any 4-year-old that has never played. I hoped his team would accept him as any other first-time player.

Hunter and Troy with Coach Kyle

We showed up to the first practice, and I could tell Troy was really nervous. The fact is, even though he’s as good as any other kid his age, he hates crowds. I hear about other kids with Down syndrome loving the spotlight. Troy is the opposite. If you laugh or cheer at his successes, he shuts down. I’m not sure if he thinks people are laughing at him, or if it’s too much sensory overload.

His seemingly lack of interest in the game was predictable, but still bummed me out. I wanted his team to see the enthusiastic ball player I watch in our backyard. I did mention to his coach that Troy has Down syndrome, and he may or may not decide to play. “That’s ok, right?” I asked with bated breath.

Coach Kyle, a laid-back father of two, said “This is my first time coaching. I think we’re all nervous. Let’s give him some time to get use to his team and the game.”

This is inclusion at its finest, and Coach Kyle seemed to come by it naturally. There was no hesitation to include Troy. Just an open-mind, and support if needed. 

Troy playing 3rd base

I wish I could say the team’s acceptance of Troy made his apprehension to play go away. It didn’t. He practiced with the team, he even played the field a few innings each game, but when it came time to hit the ball stage fright took over.

It took 5 games for Troy to finally hit the ball. But when he did you could see the pride and pure happiness in his face!

More importantly, you could see the excitement in his teammates and their parents’ faces! They were genuinely excited to have Troy as part of the team, and more important see him succeed.

Troy’s first hit

One particular player, 5-year-old Michael, always made a point to talk to Troy during the games he didn’t play. When Troy played his first full game, you could see the impact it had on Michael. He was so proud of his friend.

Although most of the kids on Troy’s team are too young to understand Troy’s difference, there’s still an important lesson to be learned by his presence. I know these sports encounters will become less as Troy gets older. We expect that Troy will play on typical sports teams, as well as in the Special Olympics. But its these early encounters that change perceptions of individuals with Down syndrome, and opens doors for Troy later. His teammates will one day be employers, teachers, or friends that will remember that Troy is more alike than different.

 

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Building the Perfect IEP

My husband says I can relax sometimes; that our son didn’t come with an instruction manual. I know he’s right, but this is his educational career we’re talking about. Thirteen plus years of glory or failure (well, probably something more in between, but you get the picture). And it all starts with one very long, very dry legal document: the IEP.

In most ways I’m laid back. I grew up on the beach. I come from a long line of beach bums. I can procrastinate and cut loose with the best of them. But when it comes to my son with Down syndrome’s Individual Education Plan I turn into a complete Type-A Tiger Mom (I even annoy me). As we speak I’m working on a year-long course in special education advocacy, all to ensure my son gets the education he needs and hopefully help other families along the way. This is all while preparing to move across country and find the right school for my soon-to-be kindergarteners (yes, I consume a lot of wine and chocolate).

Read Related Post: Letter to My Son’s New School

I realize there’s probably no “perfect” IEP. After all, my son’s educational success depends on a lot more than just a great IEP. Still, I’m determine to give it my best shot. Why not shoot for the stars? Below is my attempt at building the perfect IEP. Feel free to use what works for your child, and please comment below with other tips that I can add to my repertoire.

  1. Don’t be afraid of evaluations: Schools must do an initial evaluation for eligibility in special education, a reevaluation every three years, and you can request up to one reevaluation every year. I was so scared of evaluations and what they would mean for my son. I’m still skeptical of certain types of evaluations. In fact, I refused an IQ and achievement test as part of my son’s reevaluation process. But if done correctly, evaluations should drive solid IEP goals and services. A good evaluation will tell you what your child does well, and where he needs help. Without a wide-range of good evaluations, IEP goals and services may be too hard or too easy. Make sure your child’s evaluation report includes norm-referenced and criterion based evaluations, as well as observations from yourself and his teachers. The evaluations should cover all areas of suspected disability. My son received evaluations in speech, OT, social-emotional, and adaptive skills. The school’s own evaluation report allowed me to request further testing for assistive technology and a positive behavior intervention plan. All of this combined helps the IEP team build a solid IEP. If the school’s evaluation is not sufficient request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).
  2. Know what you want and use evidence to get it: I started writing out a list of IEP ideas a couple months before our meeting. I scoured social media, called friends, and Googled like crazy to find out what other students have in their IEP under Goals, Specially Designed Instruction, Supplementary Aids and Services, Accommodations, Personnel Training. Once I got a list of ideas I matched them to Troy’s needs, and then researched the validity of specific programs in reading, writing, and math. Here are some evidence-based websites to start your search:
    • What Works Clearinghouse Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Find What Works provides the research behind the best and worst literacy, math, behavior, disability intervention programs out there.
    • Evidence for Essa This is a brand new site produced by John Hopkins University School of Education, which helps educators and parents find out if the programs they use correlate with Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) standards.
    • Best Evidence Encyclopedia Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, this free website gives educators and researchers fair and useful information about the strength of the evidence supporting a variety of programs available for students in grades K-12.
    • Power Up What Works This website offers educators resources, strategies, and practical tips to personalize your instruction with technology to meet the needs of struggling students.
  3. Know how the IEP process works: Have you reviewed your parent rights? It’s amazing what you can learn by reading and rereading that little booklet your IEP team is obligated to give you (NEVER throw it out!). The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates has a great IEP checklist to help you prepare and nail your child’s next IEP meeting. Find it here. Get to know the format of your child’s IEP. Each state has a different IEP template, but here is a model form that explains each section. Know that your state’s IEP template is just that. You can add more information, even if it’s not an option on their drop down menu. Most school personnel don’t know this and just want to check boxes and move on. Remind them of Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert’s quote from the Endrew F. case: “The IEP is not a form.” It’s a living document, that’s individualized and changes. Don’t let them limit your child to a predetermined box.
  4. Ask Why and Why Not: You can know next to nothing about the IEP process, and still advocate for your child by asking questions. Many parents assume the school is doing what’s best for their child, and are afraid to ask why or why not. Don’t be afraid to be “that” parent. Your child deserves an appropriate education, individualized to their needs. The IEP process is set up to protect your child’s rights. The only way you’ll find out if the school is working in the interest of your child vs. school’s pocketbook is by asking questions.
  5. Put it in Writing: Here’s something many school personnel won’t explain to you: Your signature on the IEP document (except for the initial IEP) means less than you think. Often school’s will have parents sign for attendance purposes, but that signature can also be used later to argue that you consented to the IEP’s contents. It’s imperative that you put your thoughts to paper and make it official. If your opinion is not on record, it doesn’t exist. The IEP document is already skewed to the school district’s point of view. They’re they one’s writing it, and the one-sided point of view is hard to miss. Read both related posts in this blog post (here and here), to find out how you can insert your concerns and goals into the official record.

Read Related Post: 3 Words That Will Transform Your Next IEP Meeting

I would love to hear your ideas for IEP goals, Specially Designed Instruction, Accommodations, Modifications, and more. Please comment below with what’s worked for you and your child.