[blindkid] Things to include in a 1st grader's IEP

[Carrie Gilmer]

Stephanie,
I recommend going to spend a day observing a first grade class at the school
she you wish her to attend. That will help you to think of any
accommodations she may be missing as you observe the class go about their
day. Take a note pad and as the class does things it will likely bring up
questions or you will know the access she needs...make a note of it. Also
ask, they probably have special times, like 2 or 3 times a week at computer,
or library time, or art, or music--visit those too and find out what the
kids will be actually doing. Keyboarding should be mastered now and also
beginning screenreading. Is she also having abacus instruction?

 Also if you do not have Carol's "making it work" get it and take a look at
the classroom set ups. 

Otherwise Kendra's goals should be individualized-you need to get her
personal levels of performance and her needs and build her goals from that-I
would think a goal to maintain her proficiency in Braille and completing the
learning of grade II, mobility that takes it up a notch in
independence--what can the other first graders do-is she missing anything,
take a good look at the phy ed class and their curriculum-get out our
special issue on sports and rec-make sure accommodations for phy ed are
listed. If anything needs to be done ahead by the teacher of blind students
or anyone else, make sure you name them as in (the classroom teacher will
get all curricular materials to the TVI at least three days in advance to be
brailled-for example).

I think it is best to keep the goals to five or less and keep them focused
with the highest priority. Some kids have so many goals, no one can keep
them focused. It is kind of like if you sat down and said, okay I need to
work on everything--I need to change everything about myself. Well that
defeats you as you begin--it is better to identify a few specific things to
work on. If she masters the five then you write new ones. She is also smart
enough to know her goals and to be conscious of working towards them. There
is the large year goal and then objectives and/or activities to get to that
goal.

Also in order to "keep" an IEP and all the accommodations-you only need one
goal. We have had times where all Jordan really needed was the
accommodations, but we had a goal that he would perform on a level with his
peers--he still needed to improve his efficiency and test taking to not use
extra time, we did not want to go to a 504 so we worked for one goal in
order to keep the IEP.
 
HTH
 
Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
Home Phone: 763-784-8590
carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
www.nfb.org/nopbc

-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Kieszak, Stephanie (CDC/CCEHIP/NCEH)
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 7:57 AM
To: blindkid at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Things to include in a 1st grader's IEP

Sandy,
Thanks for your reply.  We have been looking into the gifted programs at
each school we visited with the expectation that Kendra would qualify.
We've been lucky so far in that her TVI has been giving her challenging
work from the beginning.  They have been working together since Kendra
was 3 years old and her TVI has requested to continue working with her
next year as well.
Stephanie

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