Guidelines for Making Decisions about IEP Services IEP Services 1 of 8

Guidelines for Making Decisions
about IEP Services
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IEP Services 1 of 8
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Introduction and
Overview
This series of slide shows is based on:
Guidelines for Making
Decisions about IEP Services
2001
Michael F. Giangreco, Ph.D.
University of Vermont, Center on Disability and Community Inclusion
This document is available in a pdf (portable document format) on the internet
http://www.uvm.edu/~uapvt/iepservices/
http://www.state.vt.us/educ/Cses/sped/main.htm
Distributed by the
Vermont Department of Education
Family and Educational Support Team
Montpelier, Vermont
Development of this material was supported by a grant from the Vermont Department of Education, Montpelier,
Vermont under the auspices of Vermont Act 117: An Act to Strengthen the Capacity of Vermont’s Education
System to Meet the Needs of All Students, Section 7 (d) (5).
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This series of slides shows is
designed to offer guidance for
making decisions about IEP
services for students with
disabilities who are eligible
for special education.
IEP services refer to special
education services and
related services (e.g.,
occupational therapy, physical
therapy, psychological
services).
Purpose
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The guidelines presented here are based on the
IDEA and research-based practices.
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They are designed to help IEP teams make
thoughtful, comprehensive decisions supporting
the education of students with disabilities, and
enable them to consider several important factors
before, during, and after reaching those decisions.
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An overview is provided later in this slide show on
Table 1.
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People who make special
education and related
services decisions for
students with disabilities
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These include students with
disabilities and their parents
or guardians, special and
general educators, related
services providers, school
administrators, and others
Audience
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Teams without a shared
approach to decision-making
may be working at crosspurposes.
The result can be gaps or
overlaps in services,
contradictory
recommendations from
service providers, conflicts
among team members, and
educational plans that are
fragmented and disjointed.
Importance
These problems can
interfere with
students receiving
needed educational
supports,
compromise
relationships
between families
and school
personnel, and may
waste valuable
resources.
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The guidelines that follows are
divided into three main
sections.
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Each section offers
information, ideas, or
questions that can be utilized
before, during, and after
making decisions about IEP
services.
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Each section includes
subcategories as presented in
Table 1.
What’s
Next?
Table 1
IEP Decision-Making about Special Education and Related Services
DURING
AFTER
Background and Legal Context
¥ Definitions and Related Information
(e.g., special education, related
services, court decisions, parental
involvement, the IEP Team)
Determine Special Education and
Related Services
¥ Determine the Special Education
Services (e.g., curricular , instructional,
adaptations)
Team Practices
¥ Learn About Team Members
¥ Acknowledge varying decision-making
values (e.g., more is better , only as
specialized as necessary)
¥ Develop a Shared Framework
¥ Clarify the process
¥ Seek consensus
Some Students with IEPs
May Need Related Services
As k Vital Questions About the Need for
Each Proposed Related Service
¥ Is the proposed related service
educationally relevant?
¥ What is the purpose of the proposed
related service?
¥ Is the proposed related service
educationally necessary?
Implement the Special Education
Services as Documented in the IEP
(and Related Services if Identified)
¥ Establish a Schedule
¥ Develop a Written Plan, Including Data
Collection Methods
¥ Ensure Appropriate Training,
Supervision, and Support of Team
Members
¥ Implement the Plan and Collect Data
BEFORE
Learn About the Student
¥ Student Characteristics
¥ Educational Program
Components (e.g., IEP goals/
objectives, participation in general
education curriculum, general
supports/ accommodations)
Learn About the Context
¥ Learn About Existing Options
Decide How Services are Provided
¥ Modes and frequency of service
¥ Consider approaches that build school
and classroom capacity
¥ If paraeducator support is
proposed, consider its use and impact
¥ Remember, IEP services can be
modified if needed
Evaluate the Impact of Services
¥ Use Data to Determine the Impact on:
(a) access to and participation in
school, (b) IEP goals/objectives, (c)
general education outcomes, and (d)
valued life outcomes (e.g., health,
safety, relationships, activities, places,
choices, self-determination)
¥ Use Data to Make Decisions About the
Continued Need for the Services or
Adjustments to the Type, Mode, and
Frequency
Here is a list of the remaining
slide shows in this series
2 of 8: Background and Legal Context
3 of 8: Team Practices
4 of 8: Learn About the Student & Learn About the Context
5 of 8: Determine the Special Education Services
6 of 8: Some students with IEPs May Need Related Services
7 of 8: Decide “What” Before “How”
8 of 8: Implement the Special Education Services &
Evaluate the Impact of the Services
Open the next slide show
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Open the next slide show
labeled:
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IEP Services 2 of 8
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Slide show 2 of 8
addresses, Background
and Legal Context