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:

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.

April 26, 2018April 26, 2018

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.”

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.

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!

April 23, 2018April 23, 2018

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.

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.

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.

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.

April 4, 2018April 3, 2018

Promoting Inclusion Through Universal Design for Learning

Students with Down syndrome face many barriers in education. My son is only in preschool and he already deals with teachers’ preconceived notions of Ds, improper assessments of what he knows, and difficulty communicating his needs and wants.

Supported by research and federal law, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) turns the traditional one-size-fits-all model of teaching on it’s head. UDL breaks down barriers to education, and creates a path to inclusion.

At its core, UDL encompasses three principles—”that instructors should provide students with multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. In lay terms, this means that, to the extent possible, instructors should (a) provide content or materials in multiple formats, (b) give learners multiple ways to show what they know, and (c) use multiple methods of motivating learners,” according to the Academy of American Colleges and Universities.

Many good teachers do UDL without realizing the terminology for what they’re doing. When I taught in Utah I used to have my history students do a year-long project. Every student got to choose if they wanted to work alone or with a group. They also got to choose their own topic, as long as it fit the year’s theme, as well as the medium (performance, mini-documentary, website, paper, or science fair-type display board). If you would have asked me then how I came up with this UDL curriculum, I would have said “what’s UDL?”

So, how can teachers implement UDL in their classroom to create a path of inclusion for students with Down syndrome and other disabilities? Start here:

First your child’s strengths should be evaluated, along with how they learn. Teachers should focus on the “big picture” of what they want students to know, and the different was to assess what students have learned.

The 3 Principles of UDL include:

Giving learners different ways to acquire information
Giving learners different ways to demonstrate what they’ve learned
Tapping into learners different interest, challenging them appropriately, and motivating them to learn

I recently took a fabulous workshop on UDL at the National Down Syndrome Congress Conference in Sacramento. Some of the ideas for our students with Down syndrome included technologies like text to speech, apps that change the reading level of books, Google classroom, word prediction for writing, graphic organizers like Kidspiration, and personalized videos to show what your child knows.

Check out this link for specific apps and ideas to share with your child’s school.

Federal policy under Every Student Succeeds Act and the Higher Education Act, encourages the use of UDL to reach all students. These updated federal laws state that UDL helps all students significant opportunities to access the curriculum. This is not just a nice way to teach, but a way to follow the law. Ask your child’s teacher and IEP team today about how they plan to implement UDL to ensure your child is included in a meaningful way.

How does your child’s class use UDL to reach all students? Let me know below. Below are some books you can gift to your favorite teacher.

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March 19, 2018March 17, 2018

Endrew F. In Action

It’s been almost a year since the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled schools must be held to a “markedly more demanding” standard when educating students with disabilities. The case of Endrew F. (Drew) vs. Douglas County is the disability community’s Brown vs. Board of Education. It should have a far reaching impact on America’s 6.5 million students with disabilities.

With IEP season in full swing, the question is: are parents using this case to advocate for higher expectations for their child with a disability?

With most students’ annual IEP meetings coming up this spring, there are some easy ways to incorporate this important SCOTUS decision into your child’s IEP meeting to ensure they’re getting a meaningful education. Below are some quotes you can use at the IEP table, to get what your child needs.

There is worry from some disability advocates that Endrew F. will be used against students with the most significant disabilities, especially when it comes to the “least restrictive environment clause” of IDEA. In fact, two court cases are advancing to the Ninth and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals about this very topic. The questions in these cases: How will the courts interpret Endrew F. for students with intellectual disabilities? Can these students only receive “more meaningful benefit” in a self-contained class? Read how the school boards are using Endrew F. against the students in these cases in the related post link below.

Read Related Post: How School Boards are Using Endrew F. Against Students with Down Syndrome

Right now, you can prevent your child’s district from using Endrew F. to segregate your child by using the SCOTUS language in favor of protecting parent IDEA rights. Two quotes in particular could help:

This new standard requires a “prospective judgment by school officials” that “will be informed not only by the expertise of school officials, but also by the input of the child’s parents and guardians”
School authorities should offer a “cogent and responsive explanation” for their decisions

Use 3 magic words to get a “cogent and responsive explanation” for school’s decisions you don’t agree with: Prior Written Notice. Schools are required by federal law to give you Prior Written Notice to explain any decision they make. SCOTUS says this explanation needs to be “cogent” and “responsive,” and it’s important because it creates a paper trail if problems persist. Read more below.

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

There are already some great resources out there to help you use Endrew F. at your child’s next IEP meeting. I especially love Understood’s easy to fill-in worksheet that relates Endrew F. to what your child’s IEP says. You can find it here.

How do you plan to use Endrew F. at your child’s next IEP meeting? Are you worried about your child’s district using Endrew F. against your child with a disability? Tell me what you think below.