ADVOCATING FOR YOUR CHILD

KNOWLEDGE Knowledge about Autism Knowledge about Intervention (ABA) Knowledge about IEP process Knowledge about typical development and curriculum Knowledge about local school programs (Sp. Ed and Reg. Ed) Knowledge about local resources

THE IEP PROCESS What is IDEA The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that all children with disabilities are entitled to a free appropriate public education to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. Prior to IDEA, over 4 million children with disabilities were denied appropriate access to public education

IDEA Every child is entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). When a school professional believes that a student between the ages of 3 and 21 may have a disability that has substantial impact on the student's learning or behavior, the student is entitled to an evaluation in all areas related to the suspected disability. Creation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The purpose of the IEP is to lay out a series of specific actions and steps through which educational providers, parents and the student themselves may reach the child's stated goals. That the education and services for children with disabilities must be provided in the least restrictive environment, and if possible, those children be placed in a "typical" education setting with non-disabled students. Input of the child and their parents must be taken into account in the education process. When a parent feels that an IEP is inappropriate for their child, or that their child is not receiving needed services, they have the right under IDEA to challenge their child's treatment (due process). (DREDF, 2008; Kastiyannis, Yell, Bradley, 2001; Turnbull, Huerta, & Stowe, 2004).

504 PLAN VS IDEA IEP The "504" in "504 plan" refers to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which specifies that no one with a disability can be excluded from participating in federally funded programs or activities, including elementary, secondary or postsecondary schooling., A 504 plan spells out the modifications and accommodations that will be needed for these students to have an opportunity perform at the same level as their peers, and might include such things as wheelchair ramps, blood sugar monitoring, an extra set of textbooks, a peanut-free lunch environment, home instruction, or a tape recorder or keyboard for taking notes

IDEA PROCESS Referral Assessment Eligibility IEP

AUTISM ELIGIBILITY A diagnosis of autism does not automatically give a child IDEA Autism eligibility. All children must go through the IDEA assessment process To qualify for IDEA a child must meet the eligibility criteria for one of the 13 disability categories

AUTISM ELIGIBILITY

IEP MEETING IEP team Parents Student Classroom Regular Ed. teacher Special Ed. Teacher LEA Speech Therapist, Psychologists, Autism Specialists, etc.

PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS The right of parents to receive a complete explanation of procedural safeguards Confidentiality and the right of parents to inspect and review their child’s educational The right of parents to participate in meetings related to the identification, evaluation, and placement of their child, and the provision of FAPE (a free appropriate public education) to their child The right of parents to obtain an independent evaluation of their child The right of parents to receive “Prior Written Notice” on matters relating to the identification, evaluation, or placement of their child, and the provision of FAPE to their child The right of parents to give or deny their consent before the school may take certain action with respect to their child The right of parents to disagree with decisions made by the school system on those issues The right of parents and schools to use IDEA’s mechanisms for resolving disputes, including the right to appeal determinations

IEP MEETING Procedural Safeguards Review old IEP goals and progress Discuss present levels Formulate new goals and criteria Discuss what it will take to make progress towards those goals Discuss least restrictive environment, placement, special education services needed to make progress towards goals

GOOD IEPS Have good baseline measures of present levels. Measures are objective and quantifiable. Bad: Jess does not get along with peers Better: Jess has 5 or more conflicts with peers each day

GOOD IEPS Have well defined, measureable goals that target meaningful skills and behaviors that are critical to classroom success. Bad: Jess will improve her conversation skills (80% accuracy) Better: Jess will answer 3 simple questions from peers without prompting. (What are you doing, What are you eating, what color ______ do you want) (8/10 opportunities)

TIP #1 Review old IEP Are goals measureable (could you take data on them the same way any other person would) Are the goals meaningful (would achieving these goals make your child more independent and more likely to succeed in regular education)

TIP #2 Have goals in mind that you feel are critical to classroom success and are measureable Critical classroom skills checklist

TIP #3 Share your goals but have an open mind Other team members may have great ideas, goals, or suggestions that will help your child

GOAL IMPLEMENTATION What determines whether a goal will be met or not? Factors of success Intensity – How many learning trials a day Duration – How long you work at it Fidelity – How well the learning task is carried out Systematic – Well defined steps that lead to desired result

WHAT ABOUT BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLANS IEP – Skill Acquisition Plan BIP – Behavior Reduction Plan BIP necessary when there are behaviors that significantly impeded learning Or necessary any time intrusive intervention is proposed

BIP BIP’s are function based interventions Generally a FBA is conducted to identify functions of behaviors Then specific interventions are put in place to reduce those behaviors and increase more adaptive behaviors to replace them A child may have multiple behavior plans addressing many different behaviors

BIP Components Target Behavior Replacement Behavior Antecedent Interventions Reinforcement strategies Negative Consequences Teaching techniques Method of Data collection Signatures

AIDES AND ACCOMMODATIONS Will aides or accommodations be needed to make progress towards the goals? Independence or dependency? What is the fade out plan to achieve true independence.

ACCOMMODATIONS Classroom Aide Behavior trackers Daily home notes Recess schedules Classroom visual schedules Schedule rehearsal/prep Token boards Break cards, break area Revised or alternate curriculum Visual aides or prompts Peer helpers Communication aides (cards, ipads, pictures)

ACCOMMODATIONS Social skills groups Timers Rules lists/books preteaching Pre practice, rehearsal, role playing Special scheduling –leaving early/late, etc. Changing environment Video modeling Special jobs Specific staff training Specialist visits, consultation

TIP Have in mind accommodations you feel will be needed in order to make progress towards specific goals

PLACEMENT OPTIONS - LRE Disadvantages of Regular Ed setting Strictly academic setting – may miss opportunities to work on critical skills Low tolerance for disruptive behavior Limited learning opportunities for non observational learners Tendency to keep the child quiet and not rock the boat – avoid working on critical skills Benefits or Regular Education settings High level of education Opportunities for peer interactions Observation of peer behavior Real world test of behavior and skills

PLACEMENT - LRE Disadvantages of Sp Ed room Far removed from Reg Ed curriculum Lower behavioral and academic expectations No typical peer models Bad or unusual behavior may be modeled Easy to fall further behind peers Advantages of Sp Ed Room Higher tolerance for disruptive behavior Can tailor room to meet child’s needs Easier access to reinforcers, special materials Sp Ed teacher can monitor progress and staff more consistently Prevents aggressive children from hurting peers

LRE Ideal? Work on critical skills in Reg Ed setting Use pullout to practice skills that will be tested out in Reg Ed setting If needed systematically design a number of steps that build towards Reg Ed setting.

PROGRESS MONITORING Must be reported as frequently as progress reporting for Regular Education Students Tip: Use of home notes, daily trackers, and/or google docs to stay current on current progress

CONFLICTS Seek first to understand: Clearly have each side define what the conflict is in objective terms Paraphrase back what your understanding of the others position is Stay focused on the IEP process. Don’t bring up past problems, personality issues, or unrelated issues Its ok to disagree and work towards common ground

GREAT IEP TEAMS The more cohesive the team the better the outcome will be for the child IEP Process can be enjoyable Common focus on improving child’s progress Mutual respect It takes a village mentality