Writing the IEP

Parents as Members of the IEP Team 

The IEP is a document that must be written in a careful, thoughtful, rational manner, following the procedure carefully set forth in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. IDEA recognizes you as an expert on your child. You are to be a valued member of any group that makes educational decisions for your child.Each step is designed to produce a document that first considers the needs of your child, then considers where the team wants to see your child a year from now, then designs the services and supports necessary to make that meaningful progress.

Drawing a Comparision

Compare the creation of an IEP to the steps in a foot race, or marathon race. When there is a race, everyone can see clearly where the starting line is located. I call the Present Levels of Performance the starting iine of our race. 

The next thing all the runners must know is the location of the finish line. Everyone can see exactly where that finish line will be. This line represents the child's annual goal.

In between the starting line and the finish line let's place some hurdles. At each hurdle is a tool that will help the runner towards the finish line. These hurdles will represent our Short Term Goals and Objectives. 

Perhaps after negotiating the first objective, a wide span of soft sand, the runner picks up an oar to help him row to the other side of the lake in the boat that will be sitting on the shoreline.  After he negotiates the lake, which is the second objective, he picks up a bike to help him reach the top of the steep hill ahead, which is our third objective. These tools have enabled him to finish the last lap of the race to the finish line, the annual goal

Writing the IEP

Special education law is very specific in how to go about writing an IEP. There are a number of logical steps that must be taken in the proper sequence. A team can not discuss placement until those steps have been followed. If there is speculation about placement at the beginning of a meeting, it can result in a child's placement being driven by district convenience rather than the needs of your child.

We will not go into great detail about every little thing to be included in the IEP, as each IEP should be based on each child's individual needs. Rather, we will look at major steps that should take place and the  order in which those steps should take place.

Reviewing recent evaluations.

The team should look at the last 3 year multidisciplinary evaluation and any other recent evaluations, including any medical or independent evaluations that have taken place.

The team should also review the recommendations that each evaluation is required to have. If the team skips this step it is not unlike getting a thorough physical from your doctor, yet he never sees the results of laboratory tests or any other testing. IDEA now recognizes the importance of referring to relevant evaluations at IEP meetings. Every evaluation is now required to contain substantive recommendations for the education setting. In planning your Parent Input information be sure to go towards the back of those evaluations and list all the recommendations.

Present Levels of Performance

The IEP must include is a statement of the Present Levels of Performance. This step should happen after reviewing evaluation information. The team should review how your child is performing in the areas where he receives special ed services. Each PLOP should be meticulously addressed in MEASURABLE terms. For example you should know whether he is performing eighteen out of twenty multiplication problems with three digit numbers and two digit multipliers. The PLEP (or PLOP) should also state what objective testing instruments were used. Terms such as "on third grade level" or "most of the time" or "almost never" are examples of terms that are sometimes too subjective and do not describe the performance in a way everyone can clearly understand. "Teacher observation" is also should not be used as the sole instrument oof measuring progess. Observation is subjective, and not always measurable. Such observation can be one measuring instrument but should never be the only measuring instrument.  

If your child has a reading goal, the present levels of performance should be detailed as to the level of accuracy in a number of different areas of reading. Placing a child on a simple grade level overall in reading is not sufficient detail to address all the areas of reading. Perhaps he iscompetent when reading aloud, but his comprehension when reading to himself is practically nil. Perhaps he can verbally explain the main idea in a passage, but cannot recall the storyline when giving a written description.  There are many such areas of consideration.

We depend on our teachers and diagnosticians to have the expertise to write accurate PLOPs.  It is important for parents to consider including teacher training on their Parent Recommendations for Consideration. It is only fair to the teacher and the child that districts provide their child's teachers continuing education in a particular area in order to accurately assess and successfully teach a child in his or her areas of disability.

After the team agrees on where your child is in each area of need it should move on to where they believe he should be a year from now.

Annual Goals

After the team agrees on where your child is academically they should move on to where he should be a year from now. Teams should be vigilant about setting too low an expectation of performance. Children can often do much more if they think we believe they can do it. It should not be too hard for example to expect 1 1/2 years progress in reading if a child is 4 years behind in reading. If we expect only say 3 months progress in a year's time that is not progress. The result is the child slipping 6 additional behind his peers.

With true measurements of the present levels of performance and a measurable goal written the team moves on to Short Term Objectives. The year needs to be broken down into stepping stones for some objectives. For instance, your son will need to understand basic phonics before he can move on to blends, which will lead to two syllable words. (A rough example).  Each objective must also state what objective instruments, or tests, will be used when measuring progress. It must include how often progress will be measured.

There may be other objectives that are not built one up one the other, but together mean the progress written in the goal. An example would be in the area of social skills. Even in this area the IEP should state how progress will be measured.

Remember our race at the beginning of this article? Everything must be measurable. 

Other supports and services

Now the team needs to look at what supports your child will need to attain each goal and objective. Here are a few examples. Will he need extra time with a resource person? Will he need assistance from a computer to complete written assignments? Will he need speech therapy to express himself more fully? Will he need special transportation?

Another requirement of the new law is that the IEP list any supports the teacher will need to be successful with your son. Does she have a basic understanding of the disabilities? Will he or she need to attend a special workshop on your child's disability? Will he or she need special training in multi sensory teaching techniques? Will an administrator be in regular contact, say once a week to see if  other supports or equipment is needed,  and to check on your child's progress?

Placement should never be discussed until these steps have been taken. Neither should placement be driven by district convenience or budgetary constrictions. Placement must be designed to meet the unique needs of your child.

The All Important Prior Notice

Prior Notice is a commonly misunderstood element of the IEP. Prior Notice must be given to the parents whenever changes to the IEP are proposed or denied. Districts usually write very little on their Prior Notice form. Usually there are brief X's marking transportation, hours in regular ed, hours in special ed, and listing any therapies and the amount of time for therapies. There should be much more, if the district follows the directives of IDEA.

You may be surprised to find that the Prior Notice should also include the following information.      A list of all the recommendations that were presented by all team members, including you as the parent. Then the district is required to state whether each recommendation was accepted or rejected by the team. If rejected, the district is supposed to state why that suggestion rejected. This information is required under Prior Written Notice, although to my knowledge, districts  are just learning about this requirement. I have seen an administrator include the required information on Prior Notice and it was wonderful. Everyone had a real record of what ideas had been accepted or discarded and why. 

     This article is a very basic outline of the steps that should take place when writing an IEP. Of course other information is included in an IEP, such as medications, transportation, therapies, etc. Now you have an overview and simplified outline of IDEA's expectations during the IEP process.

Written documentation-A Key to Accountability

Your written parent input offers unique insight about your child. It is important information that should go into the written record of the meeting. You can request any written input from you be included in the written record, such as minutes. You can make your intent clear by stating on your written records that you wish the document to be considered part of your official parent input to the meeting.

Be sure to see the section on Preparing for the IEP. Here you will find some very effective tools that will assist you in having your concerns heard and addressed at the meeting.