Recognition:

The recognition of a discrepancy in the students academic, social/emotional,

behavioral, and/or physical ability and his or her age may signal the need for
additional academic or behavioral supports.
Child find mandate requires all school districts to identify, locate, and evaluate
all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disability
1st step: screening, test, interview, observation
Pre-referral:
Pre-referral intervention is to identify, develop, and implement alternative
education strategies for students who have recognized problems in the
classroom before the student is referred to special education.
Try at least 2 pre-referral interventions (EX: RTI, teaching strategies, graphic
organizer, note-taking guides, etc.)
Referral:
Initiated in written format by parents, teachers, doctors, counselors, other
people involved in the education/care of the child.
School has 10 days to reply, school can so no but must write a notice of
refusal
If school says yes, district forms multidisciplinary team, parents get notice,
parents give consent, school district has (30 school days) 45 days to complete
evaluation, then parents are sent results of IEP or denial
Evaluation:
IDEA requires that students referred for special education services receive a
nondiscriminatory multi-factored evaluation. The school district is required to
complete the evaluation within 60 days of the referral date. The evaluation is to
be conducted by a multidisciplinary team that will consist of individuals who can
bring different perspectives and expertise to the evaluation.
Most students receive a battery of formal evaluations that measure: Intelligence,
Achievement, Behavioral, Disability-specific issues, and Medical
Eligibility:
IDEA states that each child is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education
(FAPE.) Special education services are one way to accomplish that requirement
for some students with disabilities. Within 30 days of the completion of the
evaluation, the individuals that took part in the process thus far will meet to
determine eligibility. In simple terms, a student is considered eligible for special
education services if (1) the child has a disability as defined by IDEA which
negatively impacts his/her educational performance, and (2) the child needs
special education services in order to benefit from education.
 IEP meeting:
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal contract between the
parents and the school district that describes the special education services to be
provided by the local education agency which is the local school district.
IEP team generally consists of parents/legal guardians, general education
teacher, special education teacher, representative of local education agency, the
student, and any other individual appropriate to the students needs
IEP Implementation:
Once the IEP is developed and signed by members of the IEP team it is the
responsibility of the entire IEP team to ensure that the IEP is implemented. The
IEP team may meet as frequently as needed to discuss the implementation of the
IEP. School personnel are required to provide documentation of the mastery of
benchmarks and annual goals. The IEP document is a living document and can
be altered during the school term if needed. The IEP goals and benchmarks
provide the objectives for the education of the student and prescribe what
services will be provided by the local school district and school campus to
achieve those objectives.
IEP Re-evaluation:
Each year, the IEP team is required to meet for the dual purpose of evaluating
the implementation of the current IEP and to develop the next annual IEP. During
these annual meetings, the IEP team should discuss the positive and negative
elements of the special education services provided and determine, based on
any new assessment data, what services should be provided in the upcoming
school year.
Reflection:
I really enjoyed the IEP meeting simulation, it was very beneficial to experience a
real life situation that we will more than likely experience as paraeducators. I
never knew how much effort, time, ideas, and people were needed in order to
create and implement an IEP. I think it is extremely important that all individuals
involved are aware of the basic components of an IEP and are able to provide
input that will benefit the success of the student.