IEP, 504, BIP… If you’re
anything like me, you took
one look at those terms and
thought, “Great, a bunch
of gobbledygook designed
with the sole purpose of
disarming parents.” Acronyms tend to make this
mama break out in a cold
sweat, and, unfortunately,
the school system loves
them. I’m here to tell you
that with each passing year
and with the right preparation, the process doesn’t
have to be painful. Here
are some tips to get the best
out of your child’s education without losing your
mind.
First, the Jargon
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program,
which is essentially a customized list of what your
kid needs in order to reach
his academic goals. It covers the kind of placement
your child will have for
the coming year, be it in a
regular class setting with
direct/indirect support
or in a special class with
integration. The IEP will
also allow for any physical
adaptations your child may
need, such as any special
software, and modifications in what your child is
required to perform, such
as completing a limited
number of answers.
“the Iep IS A WORKING
DOCUMENT; THAT IS
TO SAY THAT IT’S NOT
SET IN STONE.”
The IEP is a joint document, meaning that while
it’s not your responsibility
as a parent to draw it up,
you are a joint author or
collaborator when it comes
to content. Also worth
noting is that the IEP is a
working document; that
is to say that it’s not set
in stone. You are free to
review and consult with
school staff about any aspect of the IEP at any point
during the academic year.
The Magic Formula: What
Makes for a Good IEP?
The most crucial ingredients in an IEP are specificity and practicality. Before
you sign your child’s IEP,
ask yourself the following
questions:
to jargon, IEPs tend to rely
on stats to measure progress. Where possible, try
to use specific end goals.
Instead of saying “X will
improve in math and numeracy,” which is far too
general to be meaningful,
try “X will be able to perform two-digit addition
and subtraction with 90%
accuracy.”
Be realistic about the progress that is achievable within a given year. We all want
leaps and bounds for our
children in terms of gains,
but Rome took a while to
build. It is far better to take
your cues from what your
kid achieved in the previous year than to set the bar
too high and risk disappointment.
1. Are the goals specific and Keeping Relationships
measurable?
Sweet
2. Are the goals realistic
and achievable?
It may be cliché to talk
about building a positive
Unfortunately, in addition rapport with your child’s