<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal>I ran across this article of Future Reflections while doing
a search on line. It seems although it was written fifteen years ago, much of
the strategies are still the same. One may use a laptop or Mac to take notes or
do tracking, but much is similar today. I hope it helps someone and their
child.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Michelle<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>IEP
(Individualized Education Program Strategies </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Future
Reflections Spring 1999, Vol. 18 No. 1 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>IEP
(Individualized Education Program) Strategies <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>by
Barbara Ebenstein </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:
auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Reprinted with
permission of </span><i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Exceptional
Parent Magazine</span></i><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>,
a monthly magazine for parents and families of children with disabilities.
</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>How will we
educate Risa? I worried about how I would communicate my daughter’s
special needs to our school district and how the district would respond. How
could they possibly understand this beautiful child who lives without words?</span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Risa entered a
special education nursery school class while I was a law student. My professors
were understanding of my unorthodox class schedule and sudden absences. Risa
experienced one educational crisis after another until I developed an approach
to special education that permitted me to obtain the services she required.</span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>I now work as an
attorney representing parents in special education matters. I also conduct
parent workshops. I never come away from one of these sessions without having
learned something useful. The strategies presented here are based on not only
my own legal knowledge and experiences, but also on the collected experiences
of many parents.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Ten Strategies</span></b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>1. Keep
“business” records.</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Treat your
relationship with the school district as a business relationship. All
communication should be in writing, and you should keep a copy of every
document you submit. Keep brief notes of important telephone conversations.
Keep a written record of all verbal agreements, and give a copy to the school
district.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Hand deliver
important documents directly, or use certified mail and keep the return
receipt.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Keep a diary
noting the dates you submitted documents. Some regulations require that the
district comply with time requirements. For example, they may have 30 days to
respond to a written request. If so, you need to know the date you made the
request. Legally speaking, if it is not in writing, it never happened.</span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>2. Document all
of your child’s unaddressed needs.</span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> A parent’s insistence that a
child requires a specific service is never sufficient. Every unaddressed need
should be described, in writing, by a professional who knows your child or has
evaluated him or her for this purpose. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Letters from
your child’s pediatrician, therapist, or other professionals can be
brief, but should include a description of the child’s special need(s),
the educational impact, and a “prescription” for needed services.</span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>3. Review your
child’s classification.</span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> Many states have lists of conditions
that permit eligibility for special education services. These are educational
classifications, not medical terms. For example, in New York State a child with
a medical diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD) may have an educational
classification of “other health impaired” or “learning
disabled.”</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Ideally, special
education services should be provided on the basis of a child’s
individual needs. Unfortunately, some school districts provide children with
services according to their classification. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>If you are
dissatisfied with the services your child receives or his class placement,
begin by reviewing his or her classification. Is it the most appropriate
classification? Would denied services be available if the child’s
classification were changed? If so, have your child evaluated by an appropriate
expert. Your child’s classification may also need to change as he or she
develops new strengths and weaknesses. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>4. Cooperate
with the school district’s reasonable evaluation process.</span></b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> The school
district needs your consent to conduct an evaluation; however, if you refuse,
they can request an impartial hearing. The hearing officer will deem the
proposed evaluation reasonable, and the district may be permitted to proceed
without your consent. All you will have accomplished is the destruction of your
relationship with the school district. Save your energy for battles you can
win. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>5. Be sure the
committee has accurate reports.</span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> If you disagree with an evaluation done
by the school district, there are several steps to take. First, review the
inaccurate report –what is wrong with it? Was it performed when your
child was not taking his usual medication? Were inappropriate tests used? Was
the evaluator unfamiliar with your child’s strengths and limitations? </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Second, ask
about the evaluator’s position and credentials. After receiving a
devastating speech assessment on my daughter, I discovered it had been written
by an inexperienced speech teacher. I obtained a more detailed report from my
child’s private speech therapist—a woman with a Ph.D. and many
years of experience. The district followed the therapist’s suggestions
and agreed to remove the teacher’s report from Risa’s file. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>If you disagree
with the school district’s evaluation, you are entitled to an independent
evaluation at the district’s expense. The district may place a reasonable
cap on the cost. If the district disagrees with the necessity for another
evaluation, you may need to go through an impartial hearing. But if you know an
evaluation is inaccurate, it is worth fighting. </span><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>You must state
your disagreement with the school district’s evaluation before they use
it to determine your child’s placement. If you disagree later, the district
will assume that your objection is to the placement rather than to the accuracy
of the evaluation. This becomes a more difficult battle to win. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>If all
evaluations from experienced professionals are contrary to your expectations,
consider whether they might be right. Is it possible that you are denying the
severity of your child’s problem? If not, pursue other experts at your
own cost. If you obtain private reports, it is your choice whether or not to
share them with the team. You may decide to share only those documents that
strengthen your position. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>6. Build
accountability into the child’s IEP.</span></b><span style='font-size:
13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> The school district has a legal
obligation to make the necessary arrangements to provide related services
promised on the IEP. If a related service is not provided as required, parents
have a right to full due process. Request an impartial hearing in writing. Most
districts will solve the problem immediately rather than face the time and
expense of an impartial hearing they will probably lose. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The follow-up of
specific educational objectives is more difficult. For example, a child who is
included in a regular class may have a classroom teacher, a resource room
teacher, and a psychologist. Usually, no one is designated to have authority to
make sure all of them are pursuing the IEP objectives. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>There are
several things you can do to prevent this situation. First, be sure the IEP
clearly states who will be responsible for follow-up; this can be a brief
statement on the front page of the IEP. Second, list only two or three
important educational objectives to your absolute priorities. Remember, the IEP
can specify the teaching method or materials to be used. Finally, make sure all
professionals who will be working with the child actually read the IEP and are
aware of the objectives they should be working toward. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>7. Work things
out before the annual review.</span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> Submit all reports to the committee
three weeks before the meeting. Insist that all school district reports be
given to you at that time. If there are questions or issues to be resolved, try
to work them out before the meeting. The best annual review is a short meeting
in which the committee gives approval to what has already been decided. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Many parents
believe that they can obtain an impartial hearing to compensate for their own
lack of preparation for the annual review. This is a serious error. A due
process hearing will determine only whether a school district acted in
compliance with federal and state mandates. It is not a second chance for the
parents to “get it right” by bringing in late reports. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>8. Negotiate.</span></b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> The process is
not an all-or-nothing deal. Reasonable negotiation is possible. Several years
ago, I wanted my child evaluated by an Alliance for Technology Access center
far from my home. The school district agreed to pay for the evaluation and
purchase suggested computer hardware. I agreed to pay for our transportation
and lodging. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>9. Consider all
proposals for inclusion carefully.</span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> Federal law requires that children with
disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment. This means
including the child in a regular classroom whenever possible. But successful
inclusion usually requires support and related services. Sometimes, a school
district will include a child without providing needed services. Too often,
this is a cost-cutting maneuver which sabotages the child’s placement. If
you and your school district decide to include your child in a regular
classroom, be sure that all teacher training, follow-up procedures, support,
and related services are provided. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>10. Treat the
annual review as your most important business meeting of the year.</span></b><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> Dress for
business. Bring a sufficient number of copies of all documents in case they
have not been distributed to all committee members prior to the meeting. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Request a
meeting time that permits all adult members of a child’s immediate family
to attend the annual review. If a child’s father is involved with the
family, he must attend—I cannot stress this point enough. Request a
meeting time that permits his involvement. Meetings are often dominated by
women. The presence of the child’s father lends credence to the
family’s full participation in the meeting. Special education is not a
woman’s issue; special education is a family issue. </span><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>