ADVOCATE LIKE A MOTHER

GET READY FOR FALL 2023: Improving Your Child’s IEP

Does your child’s current IEP really meet his or her needs? Are you satisfied with the support and services your child gets? Is your child making good progress toward their IEP goals? Would more support help your child? If so, read on and learn about three key areas you can address to improve your child’s IEP.

Before you start fixing that IEP, you need to understand the power of data and how to use it. The IEP team always says data is what supports the decisions they make. The data comes from evaluations, observations, teacher input, standardized tests, and grades. The most current data should be in the PLAAFP (Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance) section of the IEP. You can also refer to the front page of the IEP document and find the date of the last IEP evaluation and review your MET Report (evaluation report).

You will want to take note that the law states evaluations must occur every three years at minimum, but parents are allowed to request a reevaluation at any time if it has not been less than one year since the last evaluation. If the data you have is outdated, put a request for an evaluation. Submit a written request in August right before school starts so you can schedule a REED (Review of Existing Educational Data) meeting as soon as possible. If the evaluation is agreed upon in the REED meeting and parental consent is given, the district will have 30 school days to complete the evaluation. New data can shed light on what your child needs help with and drive very targeting IEP goals.

Look deep into the data. Review each assessment and understand what it measures. You are looking for low performance in assessments, grades, and any behavioral concerns (disrupting class, losing focus, needing multiple prompts to do work, discipline, etc.) noted in the report. Consider every individual subtest score to identify deficits. Make a list of all areas where your child performed low and be ready to discuss them with the IEP team as areas of potential need. Use the data to prepare for your meeting and be ready to discuss three key areas of the IEP including Supplementary Aids and Services, Goals and Objectives, and Special Education Services and Programs. Prepare a list of requests for each section and support your requests with data.

Supplementary Aids and services refer to the “accommodations” your child will receive to “access” education and learning. Do a quick online search for accommodations relative to your child’s diagnosis. You will find several ideas of accommodations that may be helpful. Bring your list to your IEP meeting and ask for specific accommodations you feel will benefit your child.

Goals and Objectives refer to the actual skills the staff will be teaching your child and measuring progress on. The goals should address any areas of need that cannot be completely supported by accommodations. Goals should be written as”SMART” goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound). Also request information on the progress towards goals. This allows you to review the data recorded on how your child is performing over time when working on these skills.

Lastly, be prepared to discuss Special Education Services and Programs. This is the time and frequency of specialized instruction and services (resource room time, social work, occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc.) your child will get weekly or monthly. If you feel additional time is needed to help your child achieve goals, request more time be added and use data to back up your request.

These are just a few strategies to get that IEP on the right track. Don’t let another year go by with a mediocre IEP. If you need more specific IEP help, contact me!