Individualized Education Plans Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.

“Stop right there! How am I supposed to see what he needs is on an IEP when I don't even know what I can ask for? Why don't you start with what should be on an IEP and what a good IEP looks like, so I can even know if my son has a good one or not?" -Spirit Lake mother

At Spirit Lake Consulting IEP Workshop you receive: Information on special education rights Step-by-step instruction on preparing for: evaluation, access to student records, IEP meetings, due process hearings, and other special education meetings Basic training on how to get the services you need from school districts Free special education materials on CD-ROM And much more

How this workshop helps Does Someone You Know Have Special Education Needs? Do They Know Their Rights?

Do they need help in... Understanding their rights under federal special education laws (IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehab Act)? Obtaining appropriate special education services for a student? Accessing and understanding students’ evaluations? Preparing for meetings on students’ Individual Education Plans? Accessing students’ records? Preparing for hearings when they disagree with school decisions?

Definition of IEP A written statement of what the student with a disability should be taught, who will teach it, and how much time the child will spend with children who do not have disabilities.

An IEP contains … What the student will learn this year, (educational goals) Where he/she will learn this (alternative school, regular or special classroom Services the school will provide (speech therapy, physical therapy, counseling

An IEP also contains … Whether the student will start services year-round or during the school year When services will start, how often the student will receive services and how long they will last Whether the student will have the same high school graduation requirements as other students

Help with the IEP meeting Parent can bring anyone they want to the meeting If you don’t feel comfortable asking for what you need, bring someone else to ask for you Discuss with your student what you want decided in the meeting

What can a student/parent do at an IEP meeting? Ask for what the student needs!! Ask for different goals, extra services, anything you feel is necessary Encourage the student to go to their own IEP meeting

Quick Tips - Involving Parents Make sure the parents know there is a meeting do not assume they are just uninterested Use non-traditional means of communication, such as sending notes home with the bus driver Provide transportation Provide child care Provide refreshments

Tips for students involved in IEP meetings Think ahead of time about what you want to learn this year Think about what you want to do when you get out of school Talk about your ideas with other people Practice speaking in front of a mirror or talking into a tape recorder

More tips for students Talk to your parents about what you want decided at the meeting Talk to your teachers about what you want Write a note if you do not want to go, or have someone help you write it Bring someone to the meeting to back you up

Examples of what should be in an IEP Statement of how the student is doing Details about how often the parents will be notified about the student’s progress Proof that the team addressed parent concerns Results of recent tests and details about upcoming tests Transition planning

Facts about the IEP process Every student in special education is required to have an IEP The IEP should be completed before services are provided to the student The parents should get a free copy of the IEP or other other information If neither parent can attend the meeting, the school must ensure parent participation by phone calls, etc.

Suspending or expelling students with disabilities Notify parents on the same day the decision is made Give the parents a copy of their rights Hold an IEP meeting w/in 10 days to decide if the behavior was due to the student’s disability Write up a plan to correct the student’s behavior