| Following the passage of the Individuals with | | | | others, depending on the specific needs of the child |
| Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 97), parents of | | | | As a parent, you decide whether to have your child |
| children with special needs have become even more | | | | assessed.When you choose to do so, you will be |
| important members of their child's education team, | | | | asked to sign a permission form, which describes the |
| working with educators to develop a plan that will | | | | kinds of people involved in the process and the types |
| help their child succeed in the public school system. | | | | of tests they use. These tests may include measures |
| This is not available in the private school system, | | | | of specific school skills, such as math or reading, as |
| unfortunately.This individualized education plan (IEP) | | | | well as more general developmental skills, such as |
| describes the goals the team has set for the child for | | | | language and speech. Once the team members |
| the school year as well as any special supports that | | | | complete their individual assessments, they develop a |
| are needed to help achieve those goals.Who Needs | | | | Comprehensive Evaluation Report (CER) that |
| an IEP?A child who has difficulty functioning and/or | | | | compiles their findings and outlines the skills and |
| learning and has been identified as a special needs | | | | support the child will need. The parents then have a |
| student is the perfect candidate for an IEP.Children | | | | chance to review the report before the IEP is |
| who are struggling in school may qualify for support | | | | developed.Development of an IEP The next step is |
| services, allowing them to be taught in a special way, | | | | an IEP meeting at which the team and parents |
| for a variety of reasons:learning disabilities | | | | decide what will go into the plan. In addition to the |
| autism | | | | evaluation team, a regular teacher needs to be |
| attention deficit hyperactivity disorder | | | | present to offer suggestions about how the plan can |
| developmental delay | | | | help the child's progress in the standard education |
| emotional disorders | | | | curriculum.At the meeting, the team will discuss your |
| hearing impairment | | | | child's educational needs - as described in the |
| mental retardation | | | | Comprehensive Evaluation Report - and come up |
| speech or language impairment | | | | with specific, measurable short-term and annual goals |
| visual impairmentOther children, who have advanced | | | | for each of those needs. When you attend this |
| skills, either overall or in one specific area of learning | | | | meeting, you can take an active role in helping to |
| such as math or reading, may need an enriched | | | | develop the goals and determining which skills or |
| education curriculum so they don't become bored. In | | | | areas will receive the most attention. The cover page |
| most cases, the services and goals outlined in an IEP | | | | of the IEP outlines the support services your child will |
| can be provided in a standard public school | | | | receive and how often they will be provided (for |
| environment. This can be done in the regular | | | | example, counseling once per week and physical |
| classroom (for example, a reading teacher helping a | | | | therapy four times per week).Support services may |
| small group of children who need extra assistance | | | | include audiology, counseling, hearing or vision therapy, |
| while the other kids in the class work on reading with | | | | nursing, medical services, occupational or physical |
| the regular teacher) or in a special resource room in | | | | therapy, special education, speech therapy, and many |
| the regular school. The special resource room can | | | | others. If the team recommends several services, |
| serve a group of children with similar needs who are | | | | the amount of time they take in the child's school |
| brought together for help. However, children who | | | | schedule can seem overwhelming. To ease that load, |
| need intense intervention may be taught in a | | | | some services may be provided on a consultative |
| different special school environment, depending on | | | | basis. In these cases, the professional consults with |
| their needs.These classes have fewer students per | | | | the teacher to come up with strategies to help the |
| teacher, allowing for more individualized and at times | | | | child but doesn't offer any hands-on instruction.For |
| one-on-one attention. In addition, the teacher usually | | | | instance, an occupational therapist may suggest |
| has specific training in helping children with special | | | | accommodations for a child with fine motor problems |
| educational needs, and may be a "special education | | | | that affect their handwriting, and the classroom |
| resource teacher".The children spend most of their | | | | teacher would incorporate these suggestions into the |
| day in a special classroom and join the regular classes | | | | handwriting lessons being taught to the entire class. |
| for nonacademic activities (like gym and music) or in | | | | Other services can be delivered right in the |
| academic activities in which they don't need extra | | | | classroom, so the child's day isn't interrupted.For the |
| help. Because the goal of IDEA 97 is to make sure | | | | same child who has difficulty with handwriting, an |
| that each child is educated in the least restrictive | | | | occupational therapist might work one-on-one with |
| environment possible, usually every effort is made to | | | | them while everyone else practices their handwriting |
| help children stay in a regular classroom as much as | | | | skills. When deciding how and where services are |
| possible.However, when the child's needs are best | | | | offered, the child's comfort and dignity need to be a |
| met in a special education class, then they may be | | | | top priority.The IEP will be reviewed annually to |
| placed in one.The Referral and Evaluation ProcessThe | | | | update the goals and make sure the levels of service |
| referral process generally begins when a parent or | | | | meet your child's needs. However, IEP's can be |
| teacher notices a child is having trouble in the | | | | changed at any time on an as-needed basis. If you |
| classroom, and the parent or teacher notifies the | | | | think your child needs different, fewer or more |
| school counselor or school psychologist. The first step | | | | services, you can request a meeting and bring the |
| is to gather specific data regarding the student's | | | | team together to discuss your concerns.What Are |
| progress and/or academic challenges and | | | | Your Legal Rights? Specific timelines ensure that the |
| difficulties.This may be done through:a conference | | | | development of an IEP moves from referral to |
| with the parents | | | | providing services as quickly as possible. Be sure to |
| a conference with the student, age dependent | | | | ask about this time frame and pick up a copy of |
| analysis of the student's performance (attention, | | | | your Parents' Rights when your child is |
| behavior, class work, homework, quizzes, tests, work | | | | referred.These guidelines (sometimes called |
| completion, etc.) | | | | Procedural Safeguards) outline your rights as a parent |
| observation of the student in their normal school | | | | to control what happens to your child during every |
| environmentHaving this information helps school | | | | step of the process. The Parents' Rights also |
| personnel determine the next step.At this point, | | | | describe how you can proceed if you disagree with |
| strategies that are specific to the student could be | | | | any part of the comprehensive evaluation report or |
| implemented for a period of time, which may help | | | | the individualized education plan - mediation and Due |
| them become more successful in school. If this | | | | Process hearings are both options.You can obtain |
| doesn't work, then the child would need to be tested | | | | information about free or low-cost legal |
| for a specific learning disability to help determine | | | | representation from the school district, or, if your |
| whether they qualify for special education services. It | | | | child is in Early Intervention (for kids ages 3 to 5), |
| is very important to note, though, that the presence | | | | you can get info through that program.Special |
| of a disability does not automatically guarantee the | | | | Educational Attorneys and Child Right's Advocates |
| child will receive special education services.For a child | | | | familiar with the IEP process will provide paid |
| to be eligible, the disability must affect the child's | | | | representation when you need it.You may also invite |
| functioning at their public school.To determine a child's | | | | anyone who knows or works with your child to be a |
| eligibility, a multidisciplinary team of professionals will | | | | part of the IEP team when you feel their input would |
| evaluate the child based on their observations; the | | | | be helpful.A Final Important NoteThe IEP process is |
| child's performance on standardized tests; and daily | | | | very complex, however, it's also an effective way to |
| work such as class work, homework, quizzes, and | | | | develop a plan that addresses how your child |
| tests. The professionals on the evaluation team may | | | | functions and learns.When you have concerns, do not |
| include:a psychologist | | | | hesitate to ask questions about the evaluation |
| a hearing or vision specialist | | | | findings or the goals recommended by the team.You |
| an occupational therapist | | | | know your child best of all and you need to play a |
| a physical therapist | | | | central role in creating a learning plan tailored to your |
| a special education teacher | | | | child's specific needs.Dore E. |
| a speech therapist | | | | |