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There are many difficult challenges I faced as a parent of children with differences. One was learning what exactly it meant for the future of their education. For our family, this required learning how to navigate the world of IEPs or Individualized Educational Plans/Programs. Because Roses and Dino require hearing aids for their DHH diagnosis they have IEPS. These requirements vary by state. The Individuals with Disabilities Act, or IDEA, set up the requirements for IEPs. These help children with special education needs thrive in public schools.
IDEA recognizes 13 categories for special education needs. These include specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, hearing impairment, and ten more you can see HERE. An IEP is a legally binding document. This means that anything added to the plan is required by law to be carried out. This is an extremely important part that I want you to recognize. Your child has a legal right to all services in their plan. States have varying ways of finding resolution, but these can include mediation, conciliation conferences, or facilitated team meetings. For an example of dispute resolution options see HERE.
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What happens with an IEP?
The first step is for the school to identify your child with a special education need. These can be medical, neurodiverse, or learning. Next, your school system will assign you a team. This team of people varies from school district to school district. It will include a social worker or team leader, a specialist in your child’s concern, and any additional specialist to help with educational goals. This team will complete more comprehensive testing with your children.
For example, Roses has a team that includes a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing who also is the team leader. She has an educational audiologist, her main middle school teacher, and a special education teacher. She does not use all of these team members though. Roses meets weekly with her DHH teacher to work on IEP goals. She sees her educational audiologist as needed for issues with her hearing aid and assistive technology. Her homeroom teacher shares any concerns he sees with her team, or us. She does not see the special education teacher unless it is an IEP meeting.
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Creating a new IEP
When she needs to complete reevaluation testing to maintain her IEP she might see more people. This testing will vary from child to child and is specific to their needs. Roses is tested on her hearing ability in nosy and quiet spaces, aided and unaided. She also has psychological evaluations completed as she has struggled with anxiety and depression in the past. Based on the results of these tests we create a new IEP.
I encourage you as your child gets older to include them in their IEP meetings. Not only is it important to get their input, but it also allows them to learn self-advocacy skills. Remember at these meetings you are in charge. This does not mean you can ask for unnecessary things. Roses does not need speech therapy, so I cannot demand that they include it in her IEP. She does not qualify. On the other hand, Roses can ask for specific assistive technology. Because it is a need that she can hear in school, we are allowed to get support for this.
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I also want to remind you that it is easier to have things removed from the IEP than added to it. For this reason, I always try to get more services for my children, in case it becomes a need later. Roses is allowed to have extra time for tests and a quiet space in which to take them. She currently prefers to take tests with her class, so does not use this accommodation. Because she is who the IEP serves she can choose to not utilize a service. With it in the IEP though she can at any time test alone as needed. This means if she finds it might be beneficial in the future it is already there.
What is included in the IEP?
Your child’s IEP will include their present levels from the testing. Then as a team, you will make goals for the new IEP. These goals should be measurable. It isn’t helpful to say I want Roses to hear better in class. Instead, we say she needs access to an FM system and a portable microphone. Then she can use these to hear her teachers and classmates better.
For educational goals you also want these to have a measurable outcome. We put advocacy goals in our children’s IEPS. This means it might say that when Dino can’t hear a friend talking he will use self-advocacy skills. Then it is explained that these include, asking them to repeat themselves, moving closer, and asking friends to make eye contact when speaking to Dino. Our DHH teacher will observe Dino and see that he uses these self-advocacy skills 4 out of every 5 times for the goal to be mastered.
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Be persistent and remember people care
So what do you do if you think the IEP is not helping? First, make sure that your team is implementing all parts as written. This can feel daunting to a parent who is trying to advocate for their child. Remember the people on your team feel passionate about children with diverse needs. They want them to succeed. In my experience when something is not happening it is a higher bureaucracy issue. My team wants me to ask for the services. Parents have more power than anyone else when using an IEP. It is the legal requirement of your school district that it is put into action as written.
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If there still seem to be issues you can speak to your team. Your child’s IEP can be amended as needed.
Circumstances change and children grow, therefore remember you don’t have to wait to make a change.
You must advocate for your child and their IEP. It is the first step in helping them receive the best services that they can. I believe that anyone who is working with your child wants to be a piece of the solution. So don’t be afraid to voice your concerns.
Remember, you know your child best!
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