It's IEP Season

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a tailored education plan to meet the needs of a child with a disability reach educational goals.  Typically the first part of the IEP discusses what the student’s current capabilities, such as, he can identify 100 out of 200 sight words or the student can add two digit math problems.  The second part is usually spent discussing goals, such as, during the rating period the student will identify 150 out of 200 sight words or he will complete three digit math problems.  The IEP also spells out how the student will meet each goal and the techniques that will be used to give the child the best opportunity at success.  Ultimately, the goal is to have a plan with attainable goals based on your child’s current ability and what you think he can accomplish within the school while having the goals be equally challenging. 

Being the father of a son with autism I have some experience with IEP’s.  Prior to our first IEP meeting we were handed a draft copy of the IEP and then asked to come up with some goals for the school year.  After submitting our suggestion for goals Debby and I had to make sure we had our own plan in place if we were told certain goals would not be entered on the IEP or if the school district was going to fight us on something else we wanted.  We went in with the mentality that we had to fight for our son and make sure he got everything we thought he should. 

 There were about 7 to 10 people sitting around the table to discuss my son’s current abilities and achievements, and then goals for the current school year.  We were nervous and stressful, and I remember sweating through the layers of clothing I was wearing.  I sweat if there is a blizzard outside, but when it’s hot I sweat to the point it’s just nasty.  For almost two hours we sat discussing my son’s case and going through the IEP page by page.  There were moments of depression when listening to the teacher describing my son’s current abilities, and times I just wanted to leave the room and go wait in the car so I could cry in private.  Somehow I held it together in the room of people that I would have never met had it not been for my son.  What we realized after the first couple IEP meetings was these people that seemed like strangers sitting at the table had our child’s best interest and hope in mind.  The IEP was not just a meeting amongst school district personnel and parents, but it seemed more like a team meeting to come up with a strategy to help my son be much better at the end of the school year then what he was at the beginning. 

I have heard and read the stories of families having difficult meetings with school districts especially when it comes to the IEP.  Debby and I are not ones to have a knee jerk reaction to what others have experienced, but rather base our reaction on our own experience with the IEP and knowing what we want for our child. Fortunately for us our experiences with the IEP process has been positive, and the school district has been very receptive and supportive to the goals we have for our child.   To those who have not had positive experiences I would say that you are one team member and the school district personnel are your other team mates.  Somehow you need to work together for the greater benefit of the student and child, because fighting never accomplishes anything.      

Stay tuned for “It's IEP Season” part two