http://www.bbbautism.com/vol_2_issue1_iep.htm
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BBB AUTISM/AUTISM
SOCIETY OF ONTARIO YORK REGION CHAPTER NEWSLETTER THE I.E.P. ISSUE |
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Volume 2; Issue 1 |
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September 8, 2001 |
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Our
Favorite Links Please note: We have provided the following links below, but it is most
important to note that the strategies, samples forms and letters etc. are
only providing guidelines. You will have to customize all to fit your own
child and/or situation. For more information, please read "A Notice to Our Readers". Many thanks to Khris D. and Chris T. for help with the U.S. links.
Additional thanks belong to Lynda B. and Verna S. for help with the Ontario
information. This issue is dedicated to all our contributors. It is a true
testament to our philosophy regarding parental input and I am in your debt! U.S. LINKS State by State Special Education Web Pages Sample Compliance Complaint in California Protection & Advocacy
(California) Where can I find an Advocate? An Attorney? Directory of Parent Training Information Centers Independent Educational Evaluations - IEE (in PDF) Two Powerful Documents to Take to the IEP Accommodations for Students with Communication and
Learning Disorders
SAMPLE FORMS (US): 504 Handicapped Student Accommodation Plan Academic Plan for Students with Disabilities Find more of these forms by clicking here. CANADIAN LINKS British Columbia Ministry of Education: Special Education British Columbia Ministry of Education: A Parent's
Guide to IEP Newfoundland and Labrador: Student Support Services Prince Edward Island: Department of Education Quebec MINISTÈRE DE L'ÉDUCATION Publications Government of Saskatchewan: Special Education Unit Yukon
Educational Student Network ONTARIO LINKS Special Needs Opportunity Windows Ontario Ministry of Education: Special Education
Monographs #4 "Students with Autism" Ontario Ministry of Education: Student Focused
Funding Ontario Ministry of Education: Special Education Comhnadh Consulting;
Special Needs Consulting in Ontario Ontario Individual
Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning and
Implementation Ontario Ministry of
Education: The IPRC Highlights of Regulation
181/98 A Model for the Provision
of Speech and Language Services (As applicable to the Education Act)
Special Education Terms used in Ontario ASSORTED
LINKS TO HELP EVERYONE Meeting Management for Parents How to Be Your Child's
Champion International School Website Registry Tips for Parents When
Dealing With School Personnel Learning Disabilities:
Glossary of Terms Letter Requesting ABA
Services Request for Services for a Child With Asperger's
Disorder (Sample Letter) FOR
TEACHERS The Art of Teaching
Bilingual Special Education Communicating with
Culturally Diverse Parents of Exceptional Children Positive Descriptions of Student Behavior ONLINE SUPPORT United Parents - Mail List regarding
Special Education in Ontario A SPOONFUL OF HUMOR.... Dr. Suess' IEP's DR. SEUSS' IEP'S Could you hear while all speak out? Assertiveness and Effective Parent Advocacy I
find that parents of children with special education needs come in several
categories:
Which
are you? Parents
are not assertive if they:
What
do you do? Assertive
parents
Does
this describe you? Advocacy
helps you get services for all special education children in the least
restrictive environment. Then you can participate, plan for educational
programs, and get legislation passed. Advocacy
opens new doors so children may become part of the community. Advocacy knocks
down barriers and prepares children for independence. To meet others, you can
None
of this is easy but the rewards can be fantastic! You
can make things better for the next generation without filing for due
process. How? Now
these things cannot occur overnight. But if a parent says to me, "What
can I do? I'm only one person," I say, "You have no idea the power
you have." In
five years, our Chapter made local and state changes. None of our parents
felt alone. Am
I asking a lot? Yes, I am. THE INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN
(IEP) - A GUIDE FOR PARENTS From the York Region District School Board What is an
IEP? An IEP is a
written plan. It is a working document which describes the strengths and
needs of an individual exceptional pupil, the special education program and
services established to meet that pupil's needs, and how the program and
services will be delivered. It also describes the student's progress. The IEP
Summarizes the Following: * student's
strengths and needs *
medical/health information * assessment
data * student's
current level of achievement in each program area * goals and
specific expectations for the student * program modifications
(changes required to grade-level expectations in the Ontario Curriculum) *
accommodations (supports, services that will help your child access the
curriculum and demonstrate learning) * special
education services provided to the student * assessment
strategies for reviewing the student's achievements and progress * regular
updates, showing dates, results and recommendations * a
Transition Plan (over age 14) How Does
an IEP Work? An IEP
outlines the special education programs and services your child will receive.
There are five phases in the development of an IEP. 1. Gather
information. 2. Set the
direction. 3. Develop
the plan. 4. Carry out
the planned activities. 5. Review and
update the IEP. Contributions
from as many sources as possible will benefit your child. As the
Parent, What Role Do I Play? Parents play
a powerful supporting role in the IEP process. It is important to understand
and participate in the five phases of the IEP process. As well, be sure to
ask for a copy of your child's IEP within 30 days, so that you can support
the planned activities at home. You know
things about your child's approach to learning that no one else knows. Be
sure to tell the teacher about your child's: * likes,
dislikes and interests; * interest in
extra-curricular activities; * talents and
abilities; * family
relationships and dynamics (including extended family and pets); * peer
relationships and dynamics; and * family
routines and schedules. You may
wish to consider making a 'portfolio' of this information for your child's
teacher under the following headings: ALL ABOUT ME: * Physical *Intellectual * Educational * Cultural * Emotional * Social Setting
the Direction Students are
most successful when all team members work together towards achievable goals.
As a parent: * keep the
focus on your child at all times; * tell the
teacher the hopes you have for your child's learning; * bring ideas
and information; * ask
questions; and * value
everyone's input. Developing
the IEP How Can
I Contribute to Planning Goals for My Child? Beginning
with your child's strengths and needs is an important first step. You can
help by: * including
your child in the discussions; and * telling the
teacher what you hope your child will accomplish this year. Carrying
out the IEP There are
many things you can do at home to help your child to reach his/her goals. 1. Talk to
the teacher about what s/he is trying to accomplish. 2. Do what
you can at home to try to support your child's goals. 3. Take every
opportunity to communicate with your child's teacher. 4. Provide
additional insights and resources to the school. 5. Share
significant personal/family events as relevant. Review and
Update the IEP Your child's
progress toward his/her goals will be reviewed. Then, the IEP will be updated
to include different strategies, approaches and/or resources considered
necessary to help the learning process. * Talk to
your child's teacher about the goals that have been set. * Communicate
regularly with your child's teacher regarding progress. * Look for
evidence of growth towards goals on your child's report card. * Recommend
changes in goals, strategies and/or resources or support where you see a
need. * Be actively
involved in discussions at school when your child is changing grades, schools
or moving into the workplace. Many
organizations are available to support you in understanding the IEP and/or to
provide additional resources. Your school's principal can provide the names of
the organizations that serve your area. This information is also available in
the Special Education Advisory Committee's brochure, available at your local
school.
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED
HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS
REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE
CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE
DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND
SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER. |
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OUR FAVORITE ARTICLE ...the good IEP!! by Linsday Moir, Comhnadh Consultants
Advocating
for Your Child - Getting Started (from Wrights Law) Why
Advocate? Good special education
services are intensive and expensive. Resources are limited. If you have a
child with special needs, you may wind up battling the school district for
the services your child needs. To prevail, you need information, skills, and
tools. Who can be an advocate?
Anyone can advocate for another person. Here is how the dictionary defines
the term “advocate“: ad-vo-cate – Verb,
transitive. To speak, plead or argue in favor of. 1. One that argues for a
cause; a supporter or defender; an advocate of civil rights. ...to read the rest of
this article, click here. Our
IEP Experiences by
BBB
Member Khris Although my son is only 5 and just entering kindergarten, we have been
dealing with the School District for 2 years now and had more then 10 IEPs. I
have learned a lot in the past 2 years. My son has gotten s better and more
individualized program than any other child in our district that I have come
in contact with. (His program this last year included full inclusion with an
aide, speech 2 times a week for one hour, OT one hour a week, adapted PE
small group one hour a week, 12 one hour play therapy sessions, 12 one hour
counseling sessions for the family, 15 hours one on one with behavioral aide
in the home, 3 hours once a week from the behaviorist overseeing the home
program, consult hours with all of the therapists for both the classroom
teachers and the home program providers- and I never went to due process to
get this) The 3 most important things in the IEP process, in my opinion, are: IEP ADVICE FROM SUE by
BBB
Member Sue About IEPs... as in
Intellectually Exasperating People you have to sit through meetings with once
a year? Whadya wanna know, girlfriend? I'll do my best... just keep in mind
that I might have been in one or a few too many, and have PTSD or
something... could interfere with my usually utterly objective viewpoint. I did resort to joining
that Yahoo group a few months ago, when this teacher's IEP was giving me fits.
It's http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IEP_guide
. There are about 1200 members, and I suggest opening a whole new
e-mail account just to handle this one very active group, as you get tons of
attachments, along with the information and support. Lots of good stuff but
it really is intensely overwhelming if one does not have good organizational
skills and a lot of online time for sorting though this stuff. The most important thing
to remember about IEP meetings is that you should never, ever go alone.
Always have a witness. Keep in mind that the people in this meeting usually
do not have the child's best interests at heart, no matter what they say. If
you happen to have a best friend who is either a member of the bar, or who is
trained in hostage negotiation techniques, bring them. If you don't, find the
most impressive person you can find to accompany you. Looks count. You want
someone who is intellectually, socially and/or economically intimidating. Brute
strength usually doesn't work, so you can leave your biker buddies home. There are people who are
professional or lay advocates. Do check them out. Someone who actually
understands the rules can be helpful. Beware of those who recommend
"compromise with the schools". They are vampires at night, and will
break your spirit and bleed you dry before the meeting begins. Until tomorrow... In the meantime, (((Hugs))
from Cynical Sue HELPFUL HINTS by BBB
Member Gabrielle Helpful hint for IEPs: Save all the old
paperwork, especially evaluations! They can save you someday. My son struggled
for years with his motor skills, and spent quite a bit of time with the
school OT. At the end of his kindergarten year, the OT decided that he was in
the "normal" range, and didn't need her services anymore. Three
years later he was re-evaluated, and was found to be in the
"low-normal" range in the area of balance. I wanted him to receive
OT services again, to get him caught up to his peers, but was
unsuccessful...until I compared his old evaluation to the new one. The papers
showed that his balance had gone from being a strength to a real hindrance.
We got the OT services. You don't have to be aggressive to get your
point across. You do, however, have to stand and say "no" when it
is needed. Nicely. Everybody is human, and everyone likes to be treated with
respect and dignity. Cooperation can help strike a good balance for everyone. Calling
for Help Making effective phone calls
about your child
•
Identify yourself and specifically state the purpose of your call. •
Be prepared to offer basic facts about your child which are relevant to the
agency you are calling. •
Have records available (with identification numbers, dates, etc) and
encourage immediate action. •
Be goal-orientated. Know exactly what you want. Focus on your goal until it
has been achieved. •
Be direct and confident, yet positive and polite. •If
you are not satisfied, ask who else you may speak to. •Convey
a sense of cooperation. For example, "How can we work with each
other?" Source:
Based on an article by Lynn Ziraldo in Parents as Partners from OAFCCD The IEP Process or more Appropriately Labeled Anxiety Exercises
by BBB
Member Chris
As a 5 year IEP veteran, can clearly remember
feeling as though I was entering at ground level, complete with a real life
boot camp experience, separated by familiarity and faced with task upon task
heaped on an exhausted mind. Being new to the experience, our first IEP
was very school driven with a lot of compliance, fear, and disorientation by
myself, the new recruit. I was already shell shocked and not really sure what
we needed, but very sure the school did know. signed on the line, fought
back tears and hoped for the best. As I learned more about autism, therapies
and programming, while a good program, it was far from tailored to my sons'
specific needs. I learned I needed to advance my rank and become an
"Advocate".
That year I read and attended conferences and networked
with other parents and professionals in order to get a clear understanding of
what my son would need specifically and how to present that information at
the next IEP to the "TEAM". I learned I didn't always have to be a
player but could design my own plays and present them. A very helpful book I
read was "Creating a "Win-Win IEP" for Students with Autism: A
How-To Manual for Parents and Educators by Beth Fouse, Ph.D. It provides a
road map through the process as well as sample letters, listings of state
regulations with timelines, and checklists for parents through the process.
It provided me the references I needed to advocate effectively.
All IEP's following have been much less anxiety-ridden as
the recruit and handled by the "Advocate" with the newly earned
knowledge, preparation, and tools to map our course. Whether the school has contacted me or not, I provide them
a month ahead of time my proposed IEP. They are able to know my
direction and we can communicate prior to the actual meeting about issues. I
even write the goals and objectives, and have also rejected a behavior plan
and written my own that was implemented. I think it is crucial to assert
yourself as a team member making clear your knowledge of autism and your IEP
rights. A daily journal or checklist is also crucial to provide communication
between home and school, and to identify triggers and patterns that may
develop behaviorally that only a parent may recognize. I think it is crucial
to have this written in the IEP. Our school has also implemented a
"Passport" which is a list of modifications that travel with the
student so a consistent environment can be maintained. The IEP process need not be an exercise in anxiety. Being
prepared, being open minded, and willing to compromise and recognize the most
important elements and focus energies on these, can create the best
educational opportunities for our children. A
Cute Story by
BBB
Autism member Diana We
are still not sure what is happening about A. and an EA, so I have been a bit
distracted and not around here much....but, he has been adjusting to the new
school quite well.
Parent
Empowerment Workshops Fall 2001 Lineup Proudly
Presented by Autism Society Ontario ~ York Region Chapter Registration Required, Limited
Enrollment. E-mail asoyork@axxent.ca Location:
11181 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill IF YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY A
PAID-UP MEMBER OF AUTISM SOCIETY ONTARIO,
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT EACH WORKSHOP. PAID-UP
MEMBERSHIP OF $30.00 ANNUALLY WILL
IMMEDIATELY ENTITLE YOU TO THE MEMBERS’ RATE. FEES WILL BE COLLECTED
AT THE DOOR, AND ARE ON A ‘COST-RECOVERY’ BASIS ONLY. Communication
Strategies for Targeting Problem Behaviours in Autism Tuesday September 25th
, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 2nd Floor Boardroom Visual communication materials
to aid and facilitate learning and leisure by ‘Graduate Beginnings’ will be
available for sale, and custom orders can be taken. Cost:
Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00 Effective Advocacy &
Case Management Lyn
Ziraldo, Executive Director, Learning Disabilities Association York Region. Tuesday October 9th ,
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, room B13 Cost:
Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00. Writing Effective Needs
Statements - Lindsay
Moir, Educational Consultant Tuesday October 23rd, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 2nd
Floor Boardroom Special education is a
‘needs’driven’ process and boards have a statutory obligation to MEET the
needs of the exceptional pupil. As an arbitrator, Lindsay has often found
that parents have difficulty in enunciating their child’s needs and the
school often doesn’t know what the parents expect. Good programming starts
with clear communication of the students’ needs. Cost:
Members $15.00, Non-Members $ 25.00 Financial Concerns &
Taxes presented by Morty Cohen, Chartered Accountant Tuesday November 6th, Room B13 Cost:
Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00 Sensory Integration Make ‘n
Take Workshop Instructor Shirley Sutton, Occupational Therapist Saturday, November 17th
Room B 13 9:30 a.m. – 3:30
p.m. Shirley’s specialty training
areas include early intervention and sensory integration. She brings more
than 20 years’ extensive clinical experience from a wide variety of settings,
including consulting work with Geneva Centre, two private therapy centres,
several community living associations and early intervention programs.
Shirley co-authored the book ‘Building
Bridges Through Sensory Integration’ and the workbook ‘Learn to Print and
Draw: A Tactile-Kinesthetic Approach’. Cost: includes lunch, materials, handouts. Members $25.00 Non-Members $ 40.00 P.E.C.S. Picture Exchange
Communication System "A Short Cut to PECS" Tuesday November 20th, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 2nd
Floor Boardroom Shana Elman, Speech &
Language Pathologist with Bloorview
MacMillan Centre. Visual communication materials to aid and facilitate
learning and leisure by ‘Graduate Beginnings’ will be available for sale, and
custom orders can be taken. Cost:
Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00 Dental Care and Autism
with Dr. David Isen AT HIS OFFICE – Anaesthesia Associates,
4800 LESLIE STREET SUITE 111, NORTH YORK Tuesday December 4th, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Cost:
Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00 Living With Asperger’s
Syndrome. Gary Waleski, An Adult With Asperger’s
Talks About His Experiences Tuesday, December 18th, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 2nd
Floor Boardroom Understanding how the disorder
affects the child and tips on how to effectively deal with children in your
care. To help parents, teacher and EAs better understand and help facilitate
the child’s growth in school. Gary is totally independent, works fulltime, has
further career goals, does frequent public speaking presentations on
autism/PDD, and is newsletter editor for Autism Society Ontario – Halton
Chapter. He has a large circle of friends, many hobbies & interests and
leads a well balanced and fulfilling life. Cost:
Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00 Coming in the new
year..... Rose Ann
Punnett – Kerry’s Place -
“Asperger’s Disorder” Dr. Adrienne
Perry – Autism in General Margo Allen and Liz Cohen
– Your Preschooler with Autism ***ALL DAY
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY*** Dr.
Robert Naseef (author of Special Children,
Challenged Parents) A Weekend Workshop: topics including: * Special Children, Challenged Parents, Caring
Professionals: Building Links That Endure * The Father Factor: Understanding the Special Needs of
Fathers · First Aid For Your Relationship: When You're
Raising a Child With Special Needs · Stress
Busters: When Your Child Has Special Needs · Issues
Facing Siblings of Children with Disabilities Robin
Solnik – Solnik and Solnik – Wills and Estates Art Therapy
– Shelley Kavanagh Leaps and Bounds Deanna
Pietramala – Leaps and Bounds - Autism
and Sexuality Deanna
Pietramala – Leaps and Bounds – Social Skills Lindsay
Moir School Discipline and the Exceptional Student Deanna
Pietramala – Leaps and Bounds – Behavior Management Note: In Volume 1; Issue 6 "Back to
School", IEP was referred to as "Individual Education Program"
in an article from NICHCY. For those of you who contacted us asking if this
was a misprint, I would like to thank you for your input, and to let you know
that this article was cut and pasted (credits appear below it) verbatim,
nothing was changed. Our policy has always been that we don't change wording
on such articles. Anyway, whether we call it a 'Plan' or a 'Program',
we are all talking about the same thing! :-) Best wishes! Liz :-)
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