Introduction
A child enrolled in an elementary or secondary educational institution with a known disability is eligible for specialized lessons and associated services under an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a plan established to meet this need. Therefore, the kid with a disability, a group of professionals from various educational fields, the child’s family, and selected advocates all contribute to creating the IEP (Siegel, 2020). The study evaluates the process of IEP, how it assists children with disabilities, and the IDEA law under which it falls.
The Process of IEP
The IEP process consists of various steps, which include the following. First, various pre-referral interventions can kick off the IEP process in the pre-referral stage. The type of disability that the student exhibits determines which interventions are used. Thus, the primary goals of a pre-referral are to identify and elaborate on the child’s obstacles and difficulties, assess the value of modifications and accommodations in the classroom, assess the effectiveness of various educational interventions, and monitor the student’s growth (Siegel, 2020). Moreover, the pre-referral approach aids in determining whether the child’s behavioral and academic difficulties can be overcome in a general education classroom.
Second, if the pre-referral interventions are unsuccessful, a referral is used. At this stage, a referral is used to refer the student for special education services. Parents, childcare workers, public health nurses, doctors, and social assistance organizations can make referrals. Referrals for special education services can occur at various times throughout a child’s life and range greatly depending on their particular requirements (Ozdemir et al., 2020). Prerequisites for this stage frequently include subpar academic achievement, persistent misbehavior, or disturbance of their learning environment.
Thirdly, identification is conducted to ascertain whether the child has a disability requiring special education services. The child’s key life activities—including interpersonal interactions, academic performance, and behavior at home—are utilized to determine the type of services needed during this stage of the IEP process. Multidisciplinary teams are brought in to help identify the child’s unique talents and requirements (Siegel, 2020). Depending on the state where it is conducted, this team may comprise teachers, educational diagnosticians, school psychologists, and other family members.
Fourth, Persons with disabilities who are eligible for special education services under IDEA are classified according to the information acquired during the assessment stage (eligibility). To plan and implement a suitable educational framework, the IEP committee develops several components of the needed services (Ozdemir et al., 2020). Students who don’t qualify for special education assistance are placed in the regular classroom.
The IEP must be developed during this fifth process. The parents, teachers, administrators, and other professionals establish an IEP team with the child. It may be stressful for a parent to attend an IEP meeting for the first time (Ozdemir et al., 2020). Individuals have the right to bring a child advocate to the meeting to ease their anxiety and ensure their child gets the support they need. Child advocates are hired specialists knowledgeable about these proceedings and work only for the child and their parents (Ozdemir et al., 2020). During the meeting, the child’s needs for resources are established, their unique learning style is identified, and both long- and short-term goals are set.
The sixth step involves implementation when the student’s IEP and related services start. In addition to various interdisciplinary services required from various providers to support the child’s educational program, accommodations are offered for instruction and assessment (Ozdemir et al., 2020). Moving forward, the child with special needs may interact with occupational or physical therapists, speech pathologists, and other special education experts.
Lastly, this step involves evaluation and review of the IEP. The kids’ parents must take responsibility for and consistently monitor each IEP created. Depending on the state, a review may be done annually or every three years. These assessments are done to see if the youngster is progressing academically (Ozdemir et al., 2020). If the goals are not being met, the IEP is modified. New milestones are chosen if the child meets or surpasses their IEP objectives. The child might sometimes be put back in a traditional classroom.
The Importance of IEPs to Children with Disabilities
A collaborative process is used to develop IEPs. A team of special education instructors, general education teachers, school district representatives, and the child’s parents creates an IEP. The creation of the IEP is something a child can get involved in after they turn 16 years old (Siegel, 2020). A special needs kid who has the chance to participate in creating their own IEP can become more involved in their education, take some responsibility for it, and enhance their goal-setting, growth-identifying, and opinion-expressing skills (Siegel, 2020). Therefore, IEPs are crucial because they involve many parties and are clearly explained in detail.
An IEP is essential because it has measurable and precise objectives. It is challenging to track goals that are overly broad or vague. A person has more chances to achieve goals when broken down into smaller parts, giving the child confidence and achievement (Ozdemir et al., 2020). The IEP team will concentrate on SMART goals when establishing goals for dealing with special needs children. Furthermore, IEPs play a substantial role because of their holistic perspective (Siegel, 2020). The goal of IEPs is to better understand the whole child, including their areas of strength.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA is the federal statute that supports special education and related service programming for children and youth with disabilities. The Education of Handicapped Children Act, passed in 1975, was the initial name of the law. Legal revisions officially changed its name to IDEA in 1990 (Dragoo, 2019). Additional revisions to guarantee equitable access to education were passed in 1997 and again in 2004.
More than 7.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities receive early intervention, special education, and related programs under the IDEA (as of 2018–19) (Dragoo, 2019). Early intervention services are provided under IDEA Part C to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families from birth to age two. Under IDEA Part, special education and related services are provided to children and youth aged 3 to 21 (Dragoo, 2019).
Conclusion
In conclusion, an IEP is a plan created to ensure a child with a known handicap enrolled in an elementary or secondary educational facility receives customized instruction and related services. On the other hand, IDEA is a statute that guarantees special education and related assistance to qualifying kids. It makes free, adequate public education available to them across the country. IEP development includes pre-, Referral, Identification, IEP Development, and Implementation. The IEP is significant because it includes clear, quantifiable goals and a holistic perspective and is a collaborative process.
References
Dragoo, K. E. (2019). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C: Early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities. CRS Report R43631, Version 11. Updated. Congressional Research Service.
Özdemir, R., Kisaç, B., Ünlü, E., & Kaplan, G. (2020). The investigation of quality indicators of individualized education plans prepared in public schools. European Journal of Special Education Research, 6(1). Web.
Siegel, L. M. (2020). Nolo’s IEP guide: Learning disabilities. Nolo.