The IEP Challenge

Principles

There are five basic principles to follow if you wish to achieve an appropriate Independent Education Plan (IEP) for your child with special needs within a Public School.

1. Know what you want, why you want it, and how to do it.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Be reasonable.
4. Be supportive.
5. Whenever possible, do it yourself.

Objectives

To fully participate in the IEP process and to achieve an appropriate Independent Education Plan for your child with special needs, you should first meet the following objectives. Only then can you take a leading role and be a competent and successful advocate for your child.

1. To be familiar with the process of Independent Education Plan development.
2. To know the components of the Independent Education Plan and the type of information associated with each component.
3. To know how an Independent Education Plan can be used to meet the unique educational needs of students with your child’s diagnosis and special needs.
4. To understand the definitions, incidences, classifications, and general educational and health care considerations of students with your child’s diagnosis and special needs.
5. To understand the educational and cognitive implications related to students with your child’s diagnosis and special needs.
6. To understand the communication and social implications related to students with your child’s diagnosis and special needs.
7. To understand the physical and motor characteristics as well as the physical education and sport program implications related to students with your child’s diagnosis and special needs.
8. To know the rationale and be able to recommend a procedure for providing health care services, adapted physical or academic education services to students with your child’s diagnosis and special needs.
9. To know what information you and your child with special needs wish to share with the child’s classmates.
10. To know when to be your child’s advocate.