DEVELOPING AN IEP STRATEGY AND IEP GOALS ROAD MAP
 

If you are new to IEPs, being by familiarizing yourself with the law, your child's rights, and the IEP process. An advocate can only help you so much. The more versed your are, the better outcome for your child. It's recommended to build your team but ultimately you are your child's best advocate. Start with reading The Right to Special Education in Pennsylvania: A Guide for Parents and Advocates.

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Are you stressing about an upcoming IEP meeting? Are you frustrated following an IEP meeting outcome? At a loss of what is the best strategy to advocate what your child needs?

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You don't have to do this alone. There are advocates that can help you help your child receive services they need to succeed in life.

See the Advocacy page. Below are two highly

recommended books to add to your library.

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Rule #1 IEP stands for I Expect Progress.

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​​​​​Want to step up your IEP strategy skills? Watch the

above video which is a little long but full of great tips

and explains strategies schools use with parents in

IEP meetings so you can step up your game. The

more you know the better outcome your child has. Network with other parents in the school district because you will learn about programs and services that are available. Now that IEP meetings have been moved virtually, you'll want to read this article titled,

"How to Rock an Online Virtual IEP Meeting." Want to really step up your negotiation skills? Check out Chris Voss who has said that women have an edge in learning this negotation style. Not only will it help you in IEP meetings but also in every negotiation you will have in your life. It's worth a listen to.

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As a parent, I found developing IEP goals downright baffling. Just like many of you, I like to think I am pretty savvy with Googling to research what I need to learn. Nada. Where are the examples? Where are the guides? What do I base goals off of? I'm not a teacher, how do I know what is the next step in the curriculum?

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These questions plagued me. They kept me up

at night weeks before the IEP meeting. The thought

of going in a meeting, being outnumbered by staff

and collective knowledge made my fight/flight kick

into high gear. Maybe there isn't a formal training

program right now to get parents up to speed to

learn all they can about IEP's and everything

involved. But there are things you can do to help

yourself get up to speed. It's critical to your child's progress that you learn all you can.

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• If you are new to IEP's and the process, my best suggestion is to review this website to get the basics down. You can download this document from PATTAN about the basics of creating IEP goals and the parts that need to be included.

• Be on the look out for IEP training opportunities and events on the main page of this website. They are most often free but require an RSVP to attend. They tend focus on a specific area rather than being comprehensive. If you have the basics down, you will get more out of it. Don't forget to bring any questions so you don't forget.

• Make an extra copy of your evaluation. Write "original" on one and "copy" in pencil. Review the evaluation and highlight the areas where it mentions where your child is struggling or what specific deficits there area.

• Next focus on the present levels. Make sure this is updated every year. Click here to read more information about present levels, what they mean and why they are important. Click on Present Levels Checklist if you need a guide to help you navigate this.

• IEP's should be individualized and students should not be compared because each one has unique needs.

• Learn more about developing a smart IEP by clicking here.

• Click here to download a sample IEP if you think it will help you map out your child's needs.

• A good guide to develop goals is to look up Common Core Standards for ELA/Math then compare them to where your child's abilities are and reread your child's most recent evaluation. What is in line with your child's skill set? Ask the regular education teacher for a copy of the schedule and what activities the students do. Ask lots of questions and then make recommendations to which your child will be most successful.

• Refuse to have the same goals every year even if the child doesn't meet them. Goals should never be the same year after year. Either break the goal down to smaller steps or modify the goal to set up the child for success.

• No matter how frustrated you get, stay positive during meetings. Don't write nasty emails because they become Exhibit A in a Due Process Hearing.

• If you get the response that we don't do that, then address it up the ladder until you find someone you can build a relationship with.

• Schools cannot say they can't financially provide support or a service.

• Consider creating a goal for Individual Emergency and Lockdown Plan. Click here to download a document of how to create this goal.

 

​Standards Aligned System (search for IEP goals)

The Standards Aligned System (SAS), developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, is a comprehensive, researched-based resource to improve student achievement. SAS identifies six elements that impact student achievement: Standards, Assessments, Curriculum Framework, Instruction, Materials & Resources, and Safe and Supportive Schools. Schools and educators across Pennsylvania are supported in their efforts to implement SAS by the development of a state-of-the-art portal.  http://www.pdesas.org/Standard

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What are SMART goals?

Specific, measurable, action, realistic/relevant and time-limited (SMART) are goals that can help your child progress. Download this document that goes into more detail about how to create academic SMART goals. This Power Point presentation download  helps you create SMART goals for therapeutic services your child would receive in school.

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IEP's address the negative impacts a student's disability is having in school which includes academics, social skills, emotional well being and appropriate behavior. It also covers the entire school day ranging from bus safety, related services and school sponsored extra curricular activities.

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Deciding Placement

This can be the most contentious part of an IEP meeting, particularly if you are seeking inclusion and it doesn't correlate with the school's existing structure that may not support meaningful inclusion. If the parent doesn't attend the meeting, the school can make the placement decision as long as they can prove they made reasonable efforts to contact the parent which can include phone calls, voice mails, email, etc. During the meeting, the child's strengths and weaknesses are evaluated (parents, you should also write down what you think your child's s/w are and bring them with you to the meeting) and the child's learning goals are also evaluated. Placement must be based on the child's individual needs as described in the IEP.  The end of the IEP, the Team can specific how much time the child is in the regular classroom and supportive environments (resource room, autistic support, emotional support, etc). Often the children are pulled out of the regular classroom for these services. Schools must allow parents to have reasonable access to their child's classrooms consistent with the visitation policy of the school. Parents can visit to see if it's an appropriate placement. What are placements to choose from?

 

That largely depends on what your district offers and the child's learning need which can include:

• Learning Support (focusing on academics)

• Life Skills Support

• Emotional Support (behaviors)

• Speech and Language Support

• Physical Support

• Autistic Support

• Multiple Disabilities Support

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Many of the districts outsource some of these services to the County's Intermediate Unit (IU). It's important to keep in mind the type of support doesn't necessarily determine placement.

 

After placement is decided, the team can decide what type of supplementary aids and supports are needed to be successful in that setting. There is a section in the back of the IEP that will list all of them. Click on Supplementary Aids and Services to see a few examples but SAS can include many different supports.

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During the meeting, DO NOT feel pressured to sign the IEP on the spot. Tell them you want to discuss it with your spouse/significant other. Personally, I am comfortable with telling them I never sign a document without carefully reviewing it.

 

When you review the goals ask yourself the following questions.

• Are there goals for each area of need?

• Are the goals measurable?

• Are the goals vague?

• Are the goals repeated from previous years?

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When your child reaches 14 years old, there is a section in the IEP for developing post-secondary goals to prepare the child for college and employment. Click here to download an example of this section with COVID updates. When your child reaches this transition phase, his/her strengths, interests and preferences come into play. Then the team begins to identify the services and supports that are needed to reach post-school goals. It's important tounderstand that the IEP team can consider the student's transition needs before the age of 14.

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Providers:

​Austill's Rehabilitation Services, Inc.

Services: Educational Therapy Manager will be an experience school based therapist, assist in reviewing your therapy services programming to ensure the latest educational therapy services are being implemented, maintain cost control oversight, meet onsite with administration and therapists throughout the school year to monitor progress, update/modify goals, personally oversee the evaluation process to ensure educational relavance, organize the appropriate clinicians based on volume and skills. Maximizing every student's potential through customized therapy programs since 1984.

Where: 100 John Robert Thomas Drive, Exton, PA 19341

Contact: Lynn Lopez, Director of Contract Administration

Call: 610-363-7009 x216

Website: https://www.austills.com/

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Zimzum Consulting Collaboration

Services:  We collaborate with your team to provide relevant and research based trainings for various types of educators including paraprofessionals, teachers and administrators.  We consult with classroom teachers or school administrators on how to meet students needs in specialized classrooms as wells as inclusion settings. We also specialize in setting up ABA or AVB classrooms and programs.We collaborate with the IEP team or parents new to the special ED process to help bring clarity and direction to evaluation and IEP process.

Where: 191 Main St. Suite #103, Emmaus PA

Call: (610) 973-5335

Website:  https://www.zimzumcc.com/specialeducation