Members of the IEP team The IEP team must include the student and student's parent(s) or guardian(s), a special education teacher / case manager, at least one regular education teacher, a representative of the school or district who is knowledgeable about the availability of school resources, and an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of the child's evaluation results (such as the school psychologist). The parent or school may also bring other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child. For example, the school may invite related service providers such as speech and occupational therapists. The parent may invite professionals who have worked with or assessed the child, or someone to assist the parent in advocating for their child's needs, such as a parent advocate or attorney. Many parents choose to bring at least one other person with them to IEP meetings because meeting with such a large group of school personnel can be intimidating to parents.
Response to Intervention (RTI) Much current research has focused on a treatment-oriented diagnostic process known as response to intervention (RTI). Researcher recommendations for implementing such a model include early screening for all students, placing those students who are having difficulty into research-based early intervention programs, rather than waiting until they meet diagnostic criteria. Their performance can be closely monitored to determine whether increasingly intense intervention results in adequate progress. Those who respond will not require further intervention. Those who do not respond adequately to regular classroom instruction (often called "Tier 1 instruction") and a more intensive intervention (often called "Tier 2" intervention) are considered "nonresponders." These students can then be referred for further assistance through special education, in which case they are often identified with a learning disability. Some models of RTI include a third tier of intervention before a child is identified as having a learning disability. Achieve Consulting Services
Classroom accommodations - Individualized Education Program Accommodations may include such provisions as preferential seating, providing photocopies of teacher notes, giving oral rather than written quizzes, alternative or modified assignments, extended time for tests and assignments, use of a word processor or laptop, and taking tests in a quiet room. The IEP team must reflect on the effect the disability(ies) has on educational progress and then identify accommodations, if any are needed, for the student to make effective progress. Achieve Consulting Services
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Learning disabilities - Culture By 1980 in the U.S., white children were labeled with various learning disabilities, whereas minorities were labeled emotionally disturbed or retarded. This is problematic because it suggests that students who are racially diverse do not have the same opportunities or learning capacities as those who are not. Therefore an underlying racism was heavily present in the past. There are three patterns that are well known in regards to mainstream students and minority labels in the US: "A higher percentage of minority children than of white children are assigned to special education;" "within special education, white children are assigned to less restrictive programs than are their minority counterparts;" "the data — driven by inconsistent methods of diagnosis, treatment, and funding — make the overall system difficult to describe or change".Achieve Consulting Services
Acceptance and amendments - Individualized Education Program An initial IEP must be accepted and signed by a parent or guardian before any of the outlined services may begin. However, parents/guardians need not sign any paper work when it is initially proposed. Formerly, they had 30 calendar days to take the paper work home for their consideration. Recent changes have instituted the 11th day rule. The I.E.P must be signed or appealed after 10 days, or the school can implement the most recent version. The IEP is never set in stone; any member of the team may call a meeting at any time to edit the IEP.Achieve Consulting Services
Role of the parents - Individualized Education Program Parents are considered to be full and equal members of the IEP team, along with school personnel. Parents are crucial members of the team because they have unique knowledge of their child's strengths and needs. Parents have the right to be involved in meetings that discuss the identification, evaluation, IEP development and educational placement of their children. They also have the right to ask questions, dispute points, and request modifications to the plan, as do all members of the IEP team. Although IEP teams are required to work toward consensus, school personnel ultimately are responsible for ensuring that the IEP includes the services that the student needs. By law, schools districts are obligated to make a proposal for services to the parent. If agreement cannot be reached, the school district cannot delay in providing the services that it believes are the best services to ensure that the student receives an effective educational program.Achieve Consulting Services
Procedural safeguards; Individualized Education Program School personnel have an obligation to provide parents with a Procedural Safeguards Notice, which must include an explanation of all of the procedural safeguards built into IDEA. In addition, the information must be in understandable language and in the native language of the parent. A copy of the Procedural Safeguards Notice must be presented at the IEP meeting. Parents must sign that they were given a copy. Schools must give parents a copy of the child's IEP at no cost to the parent.
:Educational Therapy Processing is the way students think and learn. All students learn differently and process information in a unique manner. Information is taken in through the five senses. Some students learn better by watching (visual learning) while others learn better by hearing (auditory learning). The students who seem to do worse in the traditional school setting learn best by doing (kinesthetic learning). If these students are taught to strengthen their weakest learning systems, then learning becomes easier and more efficient. Some students have focusing problems. Attention deficits make the student less available for learning. If the student isn't attending to the information being presented, then the student isn't learning. Traditional methods involve medicating the student, but educational therapists are able to work with students and teach them how to focus and attend. Students today are expected to hold vast amounts of information in their memory banks. Many students are weak in this area as well. Memory skills can be strengthened like any skill, which in turn affects academics in a positive manner.
