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

[Carol Castellano]

Hi Stephanie,

A few suggestions:

         * Specialized skills that Kendra is learning probably belong 
in her IEP as goals with objectives--braille, cane, access technology, etc.

         * Since Serena was on grade level academically and really 
needed just the adaptations for blindness, we did as Carrie did--had 
a general academic goal with a listing under it of the   tools and 
techniques that needed to be employed in order to level the playing 
field so that Serena could be successful in the 
classroom.  Examples--brailler, braille printer, talking  calculator, etc.

         * I recommend writing an explicit goal of independence--I 
have some wording recommendations in Making It Work, but it really 
should be whatever would make sense for Kendra at  this time.  The 
idea is to keep staff from overprotecting her and from acting on 
assumptions that she would not be able to accomplish various tasks.

         * If you get your school district's curriculum for first 
grade or any other documents regarding the kind of work they do in 
first grade, you can go through it and see what 
adaptations         might need to be made.

  Carol


At 01:46 PM 12/9/2008, you wrote:
>On January 12th, my daughter's IEP meeting will be held.  Her current
>school ends with kindregarten.  We are anticipating a disagreement about
>placement with the county (resource room school versus the feeder
>elementary school partnered with her current school).  My husband and I
>want to be as prepared as possible going into the meeting so please send
>along any suggestions for things we should request. For example, it
>never dawned on me before this year that we needed to specify that
>homework would be brailled. We've asked for amendments to her past IEPs
>as things have come up.  One year they wanted her to use a "safe"
>cutting tool instead of the scissors she had already been using for a
>year.  We asked them to include a statement that she was to use the same
>tools/equipment as the rest of the class unless it was agreed upon
>otherwise with us.  If there are other things like that we could plan
>for ahead of time, it would be helpful.
>I'd also welcome input on how many hours of direct TVI instruction your
>child received in 1st grade.  Kendra is currently reading above grade
>level so we don't want to lose any momentum.
>Thank you!
>Stephanie
>
>
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