THE IEP Process with a focus on Transition and Assistive Technology

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THE IEPProcess with a focus on Transition and
Assistive Technology
Presented by The Florida Alliance for Assistive
Services and Technology Facilitator Connie
Serafin
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INTRODUCTION

• Welcome to the workshop
• We will cover IEPs, Transition, and Assistive
  Technology
• This presentation is not a substitute for legal
  advice.

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What is the world record for solving a Rubiks
Cube?

• A) 10 minutes 48 secondsB) 1 minute 4.8 seconds
  C) 10.48 seconds

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IEPs Putting It All Together

• An IEP is
• A program of special education related services
• Individualized/student centered
• A legal commitment of resources/services
• A tool to measure the students progress
• Changeable by the IEP Team

• An IEP is not
• A daily lesson plan
• Teacher-centered
• A predetermined program

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An IEP Teamwrites the IEP in a meeting
Individualized Education Program
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The IEP WHEEL
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PLANNING BEFORE PLACEMENT
Review your students records, request evaluation
or assessment in writing.
Or make changes or additions
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EVALUATIONS

• Parent or district request evaluation
• Gather relevant functional, developmental and
  academic information.
• Must be completed within 60 days

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Who is on the IEP Team?

• Parent
• Regular education teacher
• Special education teacher or provider
• LEA representative
• A person who can interpret evaluation results
• Others with knowledge or expertise
• student, when appropriate
• Transition agency

qualified to provide or supervise special
education, knows about general curriculum and is
knowledgeable authorized to commit LEA
resources
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Members of the IEP Team

• Attendance is not necessary when an IEP team
  members area is
• not modified or discussed
• A team member may be excused from attendance
  when the parent and the agency consent
• The member submits input in writing to the
  parent and the team

Parent agrees in writing
Parent consents in writing
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What Does the IEP Team Do?

• Three basic activities
• 1. Evaluate the student
• Determine eligibility
• student meets criteria for one of categories
• student needs special education
• Determine educational needs
• 2. Develop, review and revise the IEP
• 3. Determine special education placement

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Present Levels of Academic Achievement and
Functional Performance
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Present Levels of Academic Achievement and
Functional Performance

• Must be a clear, descriptive statement that
• Is measurable
• Includes baseline data
• Includes strengths and needs
• Uses understandable language
• Uses current information
• Includes academic nonacademic areas

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Measurable annual goals including academic and
functional goals to meet

• Needs so the student can be involved and make
  progress in the general education curriculum
• Other educational needs that result from
  disability

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What Do Annual Goals Include?

• Describes what the student will do
• Must be measurable
• Consists of three parts

1. Context (such as when reading aloud or during
recess) 2. Functional behavior (what the student
will do) 3. Criteria (how will we know the goal
is reached)
   (student's name)     will be able to 
   (action word)     at the     (number)    
grade level with   (number or percent)    
success/accuracy in     (number)     trials.
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Examples of Annual Goals

• 1. Dan will read 130 words per minute daily with
  no more than two errors, at a 3rd grade reading
  level.
• 2. Erin will complete these functional living
  tasks independently 90 of the time that she is
  given verbal directions and requested to complete
  a task washing her hands, brushing her teeth
  and combing her hair.
• 3. Ed will use 4-5 word sentences in the
  classroom and on the playground daily.

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Benchmarks or Short-term Objectives

• For studentren taking alternate assessments,
  annual goals will include benchmarks or short
  term objectives
• Benchmarks are major milestones.
• Short-term Objectives are measurable intermediate
  steps

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Measuring/Reporting Progress
How we will know that the student is doing what
we want him/her to do

• Uses work samples, classroom tests, records of
  observation or other measurable ways that can be
  compared with the baseline and the goal.

• When periodic reports will be given to Parents
• May be at conferences, quarterly reports or
  other

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• Services
• Special education, related services, other
  supports and services for your student to

• advance toward annual goals
• progress in the general curriculum
• participate in extracurricular and
  non-academic activities
• be educated and participate with all studentren

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Getting Ready

• If this is your first IEP meeting, talk with
  others who understand the IEP process.
• Talk with your child.
• Review the present IEP.
• Write down a list of questions that you want to
  ask at the meeting.
• Write down a list of the strengths and needs of
  your child.
• Write down some goals youd like to see your
  child achieve in the coming year.

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Special Education

• Specially designed instruction needed to meet the
  unique needs of the student
• Every IEP must include Special Education
• Special education may be speech therapy,
  specially designed physical education, assistive
  technology, travel training, vocational
  education, instruction in subject areas

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ACCOMMODATIONS

• Accommodations and Modifications
• Accommodations changes the how of what is
  taught.

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MODIFICATIONS

• Modifications
• Changes the what we teach.

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RELATED SERVICES
Required to assist the student to benefit from
special education

• Speech therapy Occupational therapy (OT)
• Recreation Physical therapy (PT)
• Audiology Counseling
• Psychological services Nursing
• Transportation
• Parent training and counseling
• Orientation and mobility

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SUPPLEMENTARY AIDS SERVICES

• What will help the student be educated with
  non-disabled peers in
• regular education classes
• other education-related settings
• extracurricular and nonacademic settings?

• Oral test taking Small class
  size
• Class outlines Note taker
• Audio tapes Large print
• Extended time Behavior chart
• Individual adult support Modified format

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Program Modifications Supports for School
Personnel
What will help the educators?

• Training/in-service Extra staff time
• Special equipment Peer consultations
• Team teaching Classroom aide
• Planning time
• Help with material modification

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AMOUNT OF SERVICES

• Projected beginning and ending dates of IEP
• For each service
• Frequency (How much and how often)
• Location (Which classroom or other place)
• Duration (How long)

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PLACEMENT/LRE

• LRE-Least Restrictive Environment
• With Non-disabled peers

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Extent the student will not participate with non-
disabled student in regular classes or activities
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STATE DISTRICTWIDE ASSESSMENT
All studentren with disabilities are expected to
participate in all general State and districtwide
assessments

• Accommodations as needed
• Alternate assessments as indicated in the IEP
• Aligned with State academic standards
• May measure achievement against States
  alternate achievement standards

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Behavior Issues

• A.    Safeguards
• B.   Definitions
• C.    Interim Alternative Educational Setting
  (IAES)
• D.    Hearings
• E.    Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) and
  Behavioral Intervention Plans (BIP)
• F.    Manifestation Determinations

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Special Factors in the IEP

• Behavior- positive behavioral interventions,
  supports and other strategies to address behavior
• Limited English Proficiency- language needs of
  the student as they relate to the students IEP
• Communication- special communication/language
  skills or strategies
• Assistive Technology (AT)- devices or services
  the student needs to achieve IEP goals
• Braille needs- instruction in Braille and the use
  of Braille, if appropriate

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IEPs Theres More

• Procedural Safeguards

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TRANSITION

• Beginning at age 14, IEP contains measurable
  postsecondary goals
• Training
• Education
• Employment
• Independent Living Skills where appropriate
• Student invited to IEP meeting

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Florida State Board Rules Regarding Transition

• During the students eighth (8th) grade year or
  the school year of the students fourteenth
  (14th) birthday, whichever comes first, a
  statement of whether the student is pursuing a
  course of study leading to a standard diploma or
  a special diploma. Rule 6A-6.03028(3)(h)8.,
  F.A.C.IEP Teams shall begin the process of
  identifying transition services needs of students
  with disabilities beginning no later than age
  fourteen (14), so that needed postsecondary goals
  may be identified and in place by age sixteen
  (16).Rule 6A-6.03028(3)(h)9., F.A.C.

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Transition ServicesCoordinated set of activities

• Be developed as a result of the transition
• planning process
• Reflect the students needs, strengths, interests
  preferences
• Lead to the postsecondary goals
• Specify the support needed by the student to
  achieve those outcomes

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Transition Summary of Performance

• One year before the student reaches the age of
  majority, a statement that the student has been
  informed of rights that transfer to them when
  turning 18.
• When exiting, the Student will receive a Summary
  of Performance.

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THE STEPS IN TRANSITION PLANNING

• Step 1 Create a Vision and Build the
  ProfileStep 2 Build the TeamStep 3 Set
  GoalsStep 4 Action Plan andStep 5
  Updating the Plan.

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Parents Role in Transition

• Be involved
• Be an active participant
• Focus on the positive
• Get connected and.
• Be prepared

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Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical
Education Act Amendments of 1998

• PL 105-332 Section 1 (b)
• 20 USC 2302
• http//www.ed.gov/offices/OV/AE/CTE/legis.html

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Workforce Investment Act of 1998

• PL 105-220
• 29 USC 701
• http//www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/unframed/29/701
  .html

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Final Thoughts on Transition

• The system will not do a plan for you
• It is never too early to start planning
• Include you student in the process

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Assistive Technology

• Functional Independence
• Overcoming challenges with AT
• AT as a substitute

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FLDOE RULES and Assistive Technology

• 6A-6.03028
• Provision of FAPE and Development of IEP for
  students with disabilities

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ADA and AT

• Title I
• Title II
• Title III
• Title IV
• Title V
• PL 101-336 42 USC 12101
• http//www.ada.gov

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Assistive Technology Act of 2004

• Known as Tech Act
• Provides funds for three types of programs
• PL 105-394
• 29USC 2201

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AT follows the Student1003.575 FS
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Assistive Technology Assessment

• Can be conducted by independent agency or
  consultant
• Should take place in customary environment
• Should address strengths and weakness

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Assistive Technology Planning

• Consider strengths and limitations
• Build a profile
• Review AT Tools
• Observe your student using the AT tool

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Strengths and Limitations

Reads Words Accurately Pays attention to speaker for appropriate time span
Understands basic oral instructions Distinguishes between important and unimportant information
Understands rapid speech
Understands the meaning of individual words
Comprehends sentences, paragraphs, etc.
Expresses self clearly in writing
Spells Correctly
Listening skills
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Build the students profile

• Needs and challenges
• Academic skill area
• Strengths

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AT Tools

• Reading OCR/Speech Synthesis, Alternative
  format books (e.g. books on tape, CD)
• Writing Word processor, word prediction, speech
  synthesis, speech recognition, graphic organizer,
  spell checker alternative keyboard
• Math Talking calculator, electronic worksheets
• Memory- Personal data manager, tape recorder,
  free-form database
• Organization- Personal data manager, tape
  recorder, free-form database
• Listening Assistive listening device, tape
  recorder

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Observe your student using the AT tool

• Compare using the tool to using no technology
• Did the technology
• Improve accuracy/quality
• Increase speed and efficiency
• Compensate for the difficulty

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Learn all you can about Assistive Technology

• www.faast.org

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Remember

• The IEP is to be student centered.
• Be sure everything the IEP team discussed and
  agreed on for your student is written into the
  IEP.
• Communicate frequently with your students
  teacher.

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Conclusion