What is it? IEP...

Why are you here? An IEP is: o Individualized Education Program o A Document that outlines your educational goals o Specific to your needs o For students with a learning disability, Other Health Impairment or mental illness

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Other health impairments Emotional Disturbance Speech and language impairments Hearing or vision impairments Physical disabilities Gifted Kids who have….

Learning Disabilities Students with near average, average, or above average IQs Messages don’t take the right path to or from your brain Why might you have this: If you’re having difficulties with 1 or more of the following Academic Areas: o Reading - Decoding and/or Comprehension o Math - Computations and/or Problem Solving o Writing - Grammar, Organization, and/or Spelling o Organization - Misplace items, Materials are disorganized o Memorization IEP

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Kids who have….

Autism Varies greatly from mild to severe Can affect social interactionssocial interactions Can affect communication skillscommunication skills Asperger’s Syndrome Characteristics: o Typically book smart o Do not like a change in daily routine o Often engage in repetitive behaviors IEP

Autism and Social Interactions 1.May be unresponsive to people 2.Have few or limited friends 3.Seem “odd” to others 4.Don’t pick up on social cues o Don’t know when they’ve offended someone o Don’t know when they’re being made fun of AUT

Autism Varies greatly from mild to severe Can affect social interactionssocial interactions Can affect communication skillscommunication skills Asperger’s Syndrome is very common o Typically book smart o Do not like a change in daily routine o Often engage in repetitive behaviors IEP

Autism and Communication 1.Avoid eye contact 2.Invade “personal space” 3.Interrupt conversations 4.Have 1-sided conversations 5.Make comments unrelated to topic AUT

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Other health impairments Kids who have….

Other Health Impairment 1.Heightened alertness to the environment a. results in limited alertness in classes 2.Due to health problems a. asthma, ADD, ADHD, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, etcADD, ADHD 3.Negatively affects a child’s educational performance IEP

ADD & ADHD Attention Deficit Disorder Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder Have trouble focusing and maintaining attention Signs and Symptoms OHI

ADD & ADHD Signs Unorganized Avoid tasks that require a lot of mental effort Lose things Easily distracted Forgetful Doesn’t pay attention to details Fidgets Talks excessively Blurts things out Impulsive “On-the-Go” Moves out of seat Trouble waiting your turn Doesn’t follow instructions Doesn’t seem to listen Sees Everything Hears Everything OHI

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Other health impairments Emotional Disturbance Kids who have….

Emotional Disturbance 1.Display an inability to learn that can’t be explained through a learning disability 2.Inability to maintain positive personal relationships 3.Display inappropriate behaviors 4.General mood of unhappiness or depression 5.Tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with school or personal problems 6.Can have a learning disability, or others, too 7.Why does it occur?Why does it occur? IEP

How do you develop an Emotional Disturbance? Environmental Issues o Abuse- physical, mental, sexual o Traumatic experience (death, violence) Mental Health Illness o Depression, Bipolar ODD- Oppositional Defiant Disorder Characteristics IEP

ED Characteristics Challenge authority Seek negative attention Difficulty following rules Difficulty accepting authority Aggressive, self-injurious behaviors Withdrawal Immature behaviors IEP

How did this happen? a)Genetics b)Difficult pregnancy, premature c)Lack of prenatal development- exposure to cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, or a lack of oxygen d)Exposure to toxins- like mercury, lead, or aluminum

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Other health impairments Emotional Disturbance Speech and language impairments Kids who have….

Speech & Language Impairments Problems with communication Could be as simple as sound substitutions (“s” for “k”) Could be an inability to understand or use language Results from o Hearing loss o Brain injury o Mental retardation o Drug abuse o Commonly, the cause is unknown IEP

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Other health impairments Emotional Support Speech and language impairments Hearing or vision impairments Kids who have….

Hearing & Vision Impairments Vision o Partially sighted, low vision, legally blind, totally blind o May require enlarged books and/or handouts Hearing Loss o Hearing Impairment affects student’s educational performance o Deafness prevents student from receiving sound in all or most of its forms IEP

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Other health impairments Emotional Support Speech and language impairments Hearing or vision impairments Physical disabilities Kids who have….

Physical Disabilities Could be something you’re born with or could be a result of injury Muscular dystrophy Cerebral palsy Multiple Sclerosis Amputation Heart Disease Must rely upon assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and artificial limbs to obtain mobility IEP

Who has an IEP? Learning disabilities Autism Other health impairments Emotional Disturbance Speech and language impairments Hearing or vision impairments Physical disabilities Gifted Kids who have….

Gifted Education GIEP o Gifted Individualized Education Plan Students who give show high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields Must need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities IEP

So what does this mean for you now? You have an IEP which gives you some type of “specialized education” 3 main goals of the IEP o Improve the weak areas to a reasonable level o “Even the playing field” in school o Prepare you for life after high school

“Transition” “Transition” Discover your learning style, strengths and weaknesses Understand your own IEP Learn what rights go along with having an IEP Start to act as your own advocate o “Self-Advocacy” “Self-Advocacy”

Self-Advocacy Ability to understand your strengths and weaknesses so YOU can SPEAK UP for your needs in order to create the most success o 1 st - Must know your strengths, needs, and interests o 2 nd - Must know what your IEP states o 3 rd - Must be able to identify what you need, create a plan to improve the situation and effectively carry out the plan Trans

Why is this important? National graduation rate 78.2% Students feel that they just can’t keep up with all the academic demands students are just not motivated to do well, they lack motivation Students that struggle academically and fail classes often end up being retained. Retention is another reason that students drop out. They feel discouraged and also unhappy about not being with their social peers as well as the stigma that is associated with being retained. The more you know about yourself, the better you’ll do because you’ll naturally make better choices- this class can help you with that

Use this class to help figure out who you are and who you want to be!

The End ?thoughts, questions?