What is an IEP? An IEP is an Individualized Educational Program that is designed to clearly communicate to the parents, the student, and providers the type and amount of special education and any necessary related services or supports that will be made available to the student. The most recent evaluation report is used to develop the IEP. The IEP is individualized to reflect the unique needs of the student and how these needs will be addressed to permit the student to be included and progress in the general education curriculum, according to the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Parents need to be very involved in writing the IEP goals for their children. You have to be your child’s advocate! The SMART plan can help you write effective IEP goals:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time Limited
Following the SMART guideline can not only help your child achieve the goals set for him/her but it can also help hold the school accountable to make sure the goals are achieved.
An example of a specific IEP goal is: ” By 10/1/2013, when given an assignment he/she will independently complete the assignment improving on task behavior from 0/3 times daily to 3/3 times daily as measured by the teacher over a three week period.”
Try to avoid vague goals. An example of a vague goal would be, “John will improve his reading.” A well written goal would be, “When reading a 100 word passage, John will improve his reading to 90% accuracy.”
A well written IEP will also include progress monitoring to measure the child’s success. Please keep in mind each IEP will be specific to the individual child’s needs. Every child is different so there can be many variations to an IEP. The IEP process can be quite overwhelming for a parent. Dr. Mel can offer Educational consulting for you and your child and can help you understand the IEP (Individual Education Program) process and be an advocate for you and your child within their current school. For more on what Brock’s can offer for Educational Consulting click on the following link: http://brocksacademy.com/services/educational-consulting/
Leave a Reply