Individual Educational Plan: Common Mistakes to Avoid

There is probably no process as frustrating for parents and educators alike as the IEP process. As a team effort, the IEP process is designed to help develop a program that is in the best interest of the child with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism. All too often, the schools experience a lack of resources or have other challenges, which leaves the parent feeling that she is not receiving the support that is needed.
 
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Comments

Anonymous said…
This is SO what I needed for this year.
July 11, 2012 at 7:03 AM
Anonymous said…
Any IEP is also only as good as the teachers that follow it with actions!
July 11, 2012 at 7:03 AM
Anonymous said…
Amen to the last comment!
July 11, 2012 at 7:35 AM
Anonymous said…
... or DON'T follow it with actions.

We had excellent teachers for daughter's elementary years that were very specific in their goals for our daughter and did a great job working to meet them.

Then she went to middle school. What a joke! She went from excellent social skills training and learning to glorified babysitting. Her social skills class was just a study hall. After a year of weekly emails and phone calls, falling grades, and countless trips to the counselor's office we've decided to pull her out and school her ourselves. Even if we miss the mark a bit, we will definitely be able to do a better job than the nothing she was getting.

I did have hesitations about her IEP at the beginning of her middle school year. It was vague just like the article said. I still don't think, though, that she would have gotten what she needed even if the IEP had been changed. Again, I echo "Anonymous": Any IEP is only as good as the teachers that follow it with actions".

Tammy Johnson
July 11, 2012 at 7:54 AM
Anonymous said…
Federal law requires the parents to receive all documents that will be reviewed at the team 5 days before the meeting. That includes teacher reports, IEP and assessments.
July 11, 2012 at 7:59 AM
Anonymous said…
Love this article
July 11, 2012 at 8:21 AM
Anonymous said…
My Aspie son attends Rockport school in Texas and they have been wonderful in helping develop a schedule that works for him. We feel super blessed!
July 11, 2012 at 8:22 AM
Ilene said…
My son will be in third grade. For the last three years we have felt that we have been bashed over the head at the IEP meetings. The IEP's have been mishandled, and misapplied over the last three years.

I noted that to the assistant principal and the most recent iep meeting in May was the first one that has felt like we are on the same page and doing things to help our son. He wasn't diagnosed with aspergers before this year but in previous meetings we heard "autistic" thrown around even though we didn't see all the signs. I nearly walked out of some iep meetings as they continued to dwell on his behavioral issues.

Now that he has the asperger's diagnosis we are hoping that this coming years IEP will be handled well and he will get the appropriate help he needs.
July 11, 2012 at 9:08 PM
Anonymous said…
This will be helpful. This year will be in this situation and I have heard how difficult it can be. My son attends a Charter School and I have been told it is harder to get an IEP. Anyone heard that or struggled with that in a Charter School?
July 12, 2012 at 7:07 AM
Anonymous said…
While lack of resources are a fact, that shouldn't determine what kind of educator's are in charge. A qualified person should look at the child'd potential, not what is policy, look at the child's strengths. We need to abolish the thinking of twenty years ago, we need to address the childrens needs, treating them with respect, stop the abuse in the systems.
July 12, 2012 at 7:07 AM
Anonymous said…
Does anyone have any experience, or know if it's even possible, to start this process during summer? My 11 year old son was just diagnosed after school got out and we're kind of new to the process.
July 12, 2012 at 7:08 AM
Anonymous said…
you should check with your child's school. Since school might be out in your neighborhood due to summer, you might need to go to the local district office. I would check their first.
July 12, 2012 at 7:08 AM
Anonymous said…
Im very lucky that the school our son is in is very supportive. We have good IEP meetings and he is achieving at least 1 or 2 of his goals when we have them. I wish i could say the same about national standards I hate reading his report as I find it very depressing. I like his IEP meetings because I know what I need to do to help him anf the teachers always have some good ideas and will tell me if he has had a good or bad day. I can aproach any member of his IEP team and talk to them about his learning needs. We have great communication with his school and we feel very blessed to have that. I have heard from many other parents that they dont have a good support team at their childs school. Maybe the should go to St Leonards school as well.
July 12, 2012 at 7:08 AM
Anonymous said…
So far we've had very unsuccessful imp meetings but that was before diagnosis. They continued to dwell on his behavioral issues without giving us any real clue on the aspergers. Finally we had a good meeting last May and I'm hopeful for a better year this year and the support my now third grader needs.
July 12, 2012 at 7:09 AM
Anonymous said…
Could not agree more. Wish I had seen this when we first started the process and maybe we could have avoided a lot problems. Our son is very bright, but you would not know it from the grades and evaluations he has been receiving. He tested at 8th grade math in 3rd grade, but last year in 7th received D's, mostly do to failure to do homework or participate in class. He got A's B's on tests, but the other outweighed them even though per his IEP said he was to have reduced assignments. This will be his 3rd year with an IEP and still not getting the results we were hoping for him.
July 12, 2012 at 7:09 AM
Anonymous said…
We're getting an IEP but the question is placement. Hang in there! We came armed with lots of assessments, evaluation, and diagnoses from our doctor and Children's Medicial. We love our aspie.
July 13, 2012 at 5:43 AM
Unknown said…
We started this process at the end of the school year and now the ARD committee meeting will be mid summer and none of the people from his campus will be at the meeting. I'm glad he is finally getting somewhere, but we'll have to do it all over again when school starts. One step forward and two steps back.
July 4, 2013 at 7:49 AM
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