Parents and the I.E.P.

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This is an article I wrote sometime back as a part of my work in special education and in an effort to help parents online with the I.E.P. process. I.E.P. stands for Individualized Education Plan. I would love to be able to open up a dialogue between parents who have questions and special education teachers who may be able to help find those answers. The wonderful thing about special education is it is set up in a team fashion, so we're all about working together. I hope that other special education teachers on Mylot will start to help this interest grow and help the many parents of special needs children. "Getting things done is not always what is most important. There is value in allowing others to learn, even if the task is not accomplished as quickly, efficiently, or effectively" R.D. Clyde Namaste-Anora Parents and the I.E.P. (Individualized Education Plan) I’ve found over the years that many parents simply do not know or understand their rights as parents of a special needs child. Some of the information I’ll touch on may be a repeat for those parents who are actively involved, but perhaps it will be of some use for those parents who are new to the system, reluctant to use the system, or simply overwhelmed. Currently I reside in Minnesota but I was schooled in Mississippi for my undergraduate work, and worked in the educational system in Arizona for years before moving up to Minnesota. As a parent I’ve resided in Illinois, Mississippi, and Texas. As a student I grew up in Montana, Illinois, and Wisconsin with visits to my father in Virginia and Indiana. So, I’ve covered quite a bit of the country in terms of my own educational experience, my children’s experience, and in my actual teaching post. I’ve not been to all fifty states mind you, but I do feel I have a pretty good understanding of just how the system works. Though I will be the first to admit that it is a pain to go between states, and that the system in general is in dire need of being repaired. The first thing I suggest to parents who have a special needs child is that you familiarize yourself with the I.E.P. process and the document itself. Yes, I’m suggesting that you actually know the process from start to finish in your state, as well as the document. Some may ask why should I the parent be the teacher? My answer is because this is your child and no one else will take your child as seriously as you do. Now, there are wonderful websites out there to help you with knowing what one should ask though I agree that if you are really overwhelmed you may wish to find an advocate who is more familiar with the system. Here in Minnesota we have the Pacer Organization (see previous post on special education links). Most states have such groups and believe it or not you can find them listed on your State Department of Education website under special education. You can also do a search on the Internet for special education advocate groups in your state. Do not allow yourself though to fall into a poor attitude though regarding special education services. There is no delicate way to handle this so I’ll be candid. I understand that culture has much to do with why some parents do not feel their child need special education. If this early intervention can help them in the long run one should consider it as help and not a hindrance. It is an old wives tale that one in special education always in special education. The fact is we want all children to return to the regular education program as soon as they are able. Our goal in special education is to bridge that gap, not keep them behind. Now, this brings to another myth. There is an old myth still quite prevalent that states we do not want children in special education and do not wish to spend monies on them. The truth is districts receive monies each year for students in regular education and special education. Special education students are actually allotted a higher amount. This said, you’d think more districts would want to classify everyone as special education, right? Well, that’s just not quite the case. There is guidelines set up in each state that determines the percentages of special education students that each district and each school should have based upon population. In this field of education the goal of all special education is to put themselves out of business. We don’t want to see every child non-progressive, we want to get them up to speed and working with their disability so they can function in the real world outside of school where they will not have access to specialized programs. Our goal is to help them be successful after our program, not just while in it, and the sooner we do that the more successful the student will be. If we labeled every student with some sort of disability under special education we’d have to question what was wrong with the community. Meaning, if we had a class of students who all had a learning disorder that would be a special education enrollment of 100%, something that scientifically defies the laws of averages in the genetic structure of humans. The averages for the year 2006-2007 across the United States were as follows: LD-44.6% SI-19.1% OHI-9.9% MR/ID-8.6% ED-7.5% Autism-3.7% MD-2.2% DD-1.4% HI-1.2% OI-1.0% VI-.4% TBI-.4% Deaf/Blind- (falls under 0% at 1,472 total of the population) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_education_in_the_United_States) This does not mean by any means you should not advocate for your child. However, it does mean you need to do your own research. Know what your child’s disability is all about. (This of course being if you already know, because getting into the program is different from dealing with the existing diagnosis). The best way to have a child evaluated is to call for an evaluation. Know your districts policies though before you call. If you can use the same lingo that your school district uses and understand the process you’ll be met with less resistance then if you go in with an attitude. So, let me address this as both parent and educator. It is understandable that when our child is having struggles we want to rush in and fix it. That is the natural part of being a parent. However, when you are on the receiving end of a parent who is not researched, argumentative, and not responding to anything you wish to do to help their child it is almost impossible for anything to be done. And who pays the price? The child. If you want to be there for your child, do the research. So, let us speak about this as if you already have been involved with the program and want the I.E.P. used. You need to know what those accommodations are and what modifications are that are going to be used. Attending meetings as mentioned is important. If you do not understand something ask. I’ve met parents who aren’t comfortable in certain subject areas but were willing to come to me or another colleague for a bit of tutor time in them. Take an extra class if you need to, this is your child we’re talking about. The educational process does not stop when that child leaves the school. I’ve had parents in the past that had a young student with reading problems. Their belief was that we should fix it in the special education program. So, it was suggested that parent spend 15 minutes a day reading to their child. The answer was they were too busy to be bothered, it was our job. It is a two way street. Don’t be that parent who wants everything done for their child but isn’t willing to do a bit of work as well. Each parent is given a pamphlet of procedural safeguards an each I.E.P. meeting where the I.E.P. is being changed or edited. If you do not accept it do not blame the district for not knowing your rights. Each district is mandated to give them out by federal law. If you are not offered one, ask for one. They are available in your native language so ask for one that you can read, and then read through it. If you are confused about the language of special education ask your advocate to help you understand it. Do not assume that because our goal in special education is to move your child out that we are not doing our job. Your goal should be as a parent to have your child out of special education as well. Teaching your child how to be a self-advocate is also something you can do as the parent. It will teach the child about their disability and how to advocate for them, something each person should learn. In Minnesota we have a program through the Institute on Community Integration that works with this. I heard a young man speak last year that had entered his senior year of high school, took his mom off his I.E.P. and handled it he. He chose what accommodations and modifications he needed, and interestingly enough he took many off because he felt they were hampering him. He actually was making A’s and B’s with less then more and felt that he was in control of his life and his goals. Now, in the case that you feel you indeed have a legal case the best thing to do is find an attorney that specializes in educational law and in particular has expertise in special education. It does you no good to have someone who doesn’t know the first thing about what is acceptable and non-acceptable where your child’s I.E.P. is concerned. Where the law is concerned you need to make sure you have documentation. This doesn’t mean just the last few conversations; it means your child’s entire special education program. You need to start documenting from the very beginning. So, this is a suggestion for those just starting out with a child in special education. Create a notebook just for your child. Divide it into sections marked Referral Process, I.E.P., Meeting Notes, Evaluations/Tests, Outside Services (Medical, Psychological, etc), Grade Reports/Teacher Reports, Phone Logs, and Research. You may find you need more specialized notes but this will help yo