jill hill fane family advocate federation of families of northeast florida mental health america of...

Jill Hill Fane Family Advocate Federation of Families of Northeast Florida Mental Health America of Northeast Florida Jacksonville System of Care Initiative 904-379-0617 Office [email protected] www.mhajax.org www.fofjax.org Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: How to use it to get services for your student

IDEA LAW Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 Guides states and school districts in providing specially designed instruction and related services Parts A, B, C, and D Part A: General Provisions, Definitions and Other Issues Part B: Assistance for Education of All Children with Disabilities (School) Part C: Infant and Toddlers with Disabilities (Early Steps) Part D: National Activities to Improve Education of Children with Disabilities (Parent Training Centers)

IDEA Part B Individualized Education Plan

What is IDEA Part B? The nations special education law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets high standards for achievement and guides how special help and services are made available in schools to address students individual needs through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These students must meet criteria qualification for Special Education Services.

What is the criteria qualification for Special Education Services.. To be eligible for IDEA A child must meet the criteria of one or more disability categories AND Must also need specially designed instruction and related services

IDEA Disability Categories Autism Emotional Disturbance Hearing Impairments Intellectual Disability Orthopedic Impairments Other Health Impairments Specific Learning Disabilities Speech/Language Impairments Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Impairment Developmental Delays (Ages 3-9, depending on your state)

What is the criteria qualification for Special Education Services.. To be eligible for IDEA A child must meet the criteria of one or more disability categories AND Must also need specially designed instruction and related services

What is Specially Designed Instruction and Related Services? Specially Designed Instruction Definition: Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) refers to the teaching strategies and methods used by teachers to instruct students with learning disabilities. To develop appropriate specially designed instruction analyze student work, evaluation information, and any other available data to determine the student's strengths and weaknesses. Based on that student's unique learning needs, strategies are developed. Teachers continue to measure students' progress and make changes in instruction as needed. Related Services Definition: Related Services help children with disabilities benefit from their special education by providing extra help with developmental, corrective, and other supportive services.

Specially Designed Instruction Specially Designed Instruction refers to the teaching strategies and methods used by teachers to instruct students with learning disabilities and other types of learning disorders. Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction To address the unique needs of the child that result from the childs disability; and To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children. [300.39(b)(3)] Thus, as part of designing the instruction to fit the needs of a specific child, adaptations may be made in the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction.

Related services is defined by the United States Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA") 1997 as, The related services according to IDEA, "transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education..."[section 300.24(a)]... Related services also help children reach their IEP goals and objectives. The related services include: audiology, counseling services, early identification, family training-counseling and home visits, health services, medical services, nursing services, nutrition services, occupational therapy, orientation and mobility services, parent counseling and training, physical therapy, psychological services, recreation and therapeutic recreation, rehabilitative counseling services, school health services, service coordination services, social work services in schools, speech pathology and speech-language pathology, transportation and related costs, and assistive technology and services. Related services were mandated in the IDEA 1997, and more than 6.1 million children with disabilities received related services in 1998-1999 (Nichcy). Related Services

Principles Included in IDEA

Appropriate evaluation Parent & student participation Least Restrictive Environment Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Procedural safeguards Individualized Education Program/Plan (IEP) Appropriate evaluation

Appropriate Evaluation

Evaluation Referral Process Pre-referral activities (RTI) Referral (Parent or School) Consent (Parent) Evaluation (60 days) Eligibility Determination Written request & consent for evaluation

Pre-referral activities The IEP process is initiated through a series of pre-referral interventions. The interventions implemented vary depending on the kind of problem the student is exhibiting. The major purposes of this stage of the IEP process are to Document and explain students' difficulties and challenges Test the effectiveness of classroom accommodations Assess the power of various instructional interventions Monitor students' progress Pre-referral activities are employed to screen students before more formal identification procedures are implemented. Before a referral for special education is made, teachers and family members work together to see whether educational or behavioral difficulties can be resolved in the general education classroom. The assessments used during this step are intervention-based and are made in the student's general education class using direct measures of performance. During this pre-referral period, teachers try different validated teaching approaches to determine whether faulty instruction is the source of the problem. They also make basic accommodations to the instructional program and systematically differentiate instruction more intensively. General education teachers receive both assistance and consultation from specialists. Students whose learning remains challenged are referred to special education and the next step of the IEP process. Response to Intervention (RtI) can be used during the Pre-Referral Stage

Response to Intervention (RtI) RtI integrates assessment and intervention within a school-wide, multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavior problems. With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions based on a students responsiveness, and RTI may be used as part of the determination process for identifying students with specific learning disabilities or other disabilities RTI is a multi-level instructional framework aimed at improving outcomes for ALL students. RTI is preventive and provides immediate support to students who are at risk for poor learning outcomes RTI may be a component of a comprehensive evaluation for students with learning disabilities.

RtI and Evaluation The School wants to do RtI before they begin an evaluation?

Identifying Children for Evaluation Before a childs eligibility under IDEA can be determined, a full and individual evaluation of the child must be conducted. There are two ways a child may be identified to receive an evaluation under IDEA: Parents may request that their child be evaluated. Parents are often the first to notice that their childs learning, behavior or development may be a cause for concern. If theyre worried about their childs progress in school and think he or she might need extra help from special education services they may call, email, or write to their childs teacher, the schools principal, or the Director of Special Education in the school district. If the school agrees that an evaluation is needed, it must evaluate the child at no cost to parents. If the school agrees that an evaluation is needed, it must evaluate the child at no cost to parents. The school system may ask to evaluate the child. Based on a teachers recommendation, observations, or results from tests given to all children in a particular grade, a school may recommend that a child receive further screening or assessment to determine if he or she has a disability and needs special education and related services. The school system must ask parents for permission to evaluate the child, and parents must give their informed written permission before the evaluation may be conducted.

Evaluation Determines Category of disability Whether the child needs specially designed instruction and/or related services The present levels of academic achievement and related developmental needs Whether any accommodations or modifications are needed

Giving Parents Notice IDEA requires the school system to notify parents in writing that it would like to evaluate their child (or that it is refusing to evaluate the child). This is called giving prior written notice. The school must also: Explain why it wants to conduct the evaluation (or why it refuses); Describe each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report used as a basis for proposing the evaluation (or refusing to conduct the evaluation); Where parents can go to obtain help in understanding IDEAs provisions; What other options the school considered and why those were rejected; and A description of any other factors that are relevant to the schools proposal (or refusal) to evaluate the child. The purpose behind this thorough explanation is to make sure that parents are fully informed, understand what is being proposed (or refused), understand what evaluation of their child will involve (or why the school system is refusing to conduct an evaluation of the child), and understand their right to refuse consent for evaluation, or to otherwise exercise their rights under IDEAs procedural safeguards if the school refuses to evaluate.

Parental Consent Before the school may proceed with the evaluation, parents must give their informed written consent. This consent is for the evaluation only. It does not mean that the school has the parents permission to provide special education services to the child. That requires a separate consent. If parents refuse consent for an initial evaluation (or simply dont respond to the schools request), the school must carefully document all its attempts to obtain parent consent. It may also continue to pursue conducting the evaluation by using the laws due process procedures or its mediation procedures, unless doing so would be inconsistent with state law relating to parental consent. However, if the child is home-schooled or has been placed in a private school by parents (meaning, the parents are paying for the cost of the private school), the school may not override parents lack of consent for initial evaluation of the child. As the Department of Education (2006) notes: once parents opt out of the public school system, States and school districts do not have the same interest in requiring parents to agree to the evaluation of their children. In such cases, it would be overly intrusive for the school district to insist on an evaluation over a parents objection. (71 Fed. Reg. at 46635)

The Scope of Evaluation A childs initial evaluation must be full and individual, focused on that child and only that child. Evaluation (reevaluation) typically begins with a review of existing evaluation data on the child, which may come from the childs classroom work, State or district assessments, information provided by the parents and teachers, and so on. The evaluation must use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information about the child, including information provided by the parent. When conducting an initial evaluation, its important to examine all areas of a childs functioning to determine not only if the child is a child with a disability, but also determine the childs educational needs. This full and individual evaluation includes evaluating the childs: health vision and hearing social and emotional general intelligence academic performance communicative status motor abilities

Communication and Culture Specifically, consideration of language, culture, and communication mode means the following: An important component in evaluation is to ensure that assessment tools are not discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis. Evaluation must also be conducted in the childs typical, mode of communication (unless it is clearly not feasible to do so) and in a form that will yield accurate information about what the child knows and can do academically, developmentally, and functionally. Students Native language Sign language, braille, PECS Assistive or alternative augmentative communication devices This provision in the law is meant to protect children of different racial, cultural, or language backgrounds from misdiagnosis. If your child has impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the law requires that tests are selected and administered so as best to ensure that test results accurately reflect his or her aptitude or achievement level and not reflect the childs impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills (unless the test being used is intended to measure those skills).

Determining Eligibility The childs assessment results should be explained. The specialists who assessed the child or evaluation interpreter will explain what was done, why they used the tests, the childs results on those tests or other evaluation procedures, and what the childs scores mean when compared to other children of the same age and grade. It is important to know that the group may not determine that a child is eligible if the determinant factor for making that judgment is the childs lack of instruction in reading or math or the childs limited English proficiency. The child must otherwise meet the laws definition of a child with a disabilitymeaning that he or she has one of the disabilities listed in the law and, because of that disability, needs special education and related services. If the evaluation results indicate that the child meets the definition of one or more of the disabilities listed under IDEA and needs special education and related services, the results will form the basis for developing the childs IEP.

IDEA Disability Categories Autism Emotional Disturbance Hearing Impairments Intellectual Disability Orthopedic Impairments Other Health Impairments Specific Learning Disabilities Speech/Language Impairments Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Impairment Developmental Delays (Ages 3-9, depending on your state)

What if You Dont Agree with the Evaluation Results? If you disagree with the results of your childs evaluation, you have the right to obtain what is known as an Independent Educational Evaluation, or IEE. An IEE means an evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner who is not employed by the public agency responsible for the education of your child. If you ask for an IEE, the public agency must provide you with information about where an IEE may be obtained. Who pays for the independent evaluation? IEEs are at public expense Or it may initiate a hearing to show that its own evaluation was appropriate. The public agency may ask why you object to the public evaluation. However, the agency may not require you to explain, and it may not unreasonably delay either providing the IEE at public expense or initiating a due process hearing to defend the public evaluation. If the public agency initiates a hearing and the final decision of the hearing officer is that the agencys evaluation was appropriate, then you still have the right to an IEE but at your own expense. The results of parent paid evaluation must be considered by the public agency, if it meets agency criteria, in any decision made in providing your child with FAPE.

Principles Included in IDEA Appropriate evaluation Parent & student participation Least Restrictive Environment Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Procedural safeguards Individualized Education Program/Plan (IEP)

Parent & Student Participation

One of IDEAs foundational principles is the right of parents to participate in educational decision making regarding their child with a disability. The law is very specific about what school systems must do to ensure that parents have the opportunity to participate, if they so choose. Parental rights of participation can be summarized as follows: Parents have the right to participate in meetings related to the evaluation, identification, and educational placement of their child. Parents have the right to participate in meetings related to the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to their child. Parents are entitled to be members of any group that decides whether their child is a child with a disability and meets eligibility criteria for special education and related services. Parents are entitled to be members of the team that develops, reviews, and revises the individualized education program (IEP) for their child. Parents are entitled to be members of any group that makes placement decisions for their child. Parent and students are not required to participate, however; that is their choice. IDEA guarantees is that they are given the opportunity to participate.

Alternative Participation Parents School / District Personnel By agreement If neither parent can attend the meeting the school must use other methods to ensure their participation, including individual or conference calls, or video conferencing.

Active Participation Speak up Ask questions Make suggestions Disagree

Least Restrictive Environment

By law, schools are required to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment that is appropriate to the individual student's needs. "Least restrictive environment" (LRE) means that a student who has a disability should have the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled peers, to the greatest extent appropriate. They should have access to the general education curriculum, or any other program that non-disabled peers would be able to access. The student should be provided with supplementary aids and services necessary to achieve educational goals if placed in a setting with non-disabled peers. Academically, a resource room may be available within the school for specialized instruction, with typically no more than two hours per day of services for a student with learning disabilities. Should the nature or severity of his or her disability prevent the student from achieving these goals in a regular education setting, then the student would be placed in a more restrictive environment, such as a special school, classroom within the current school, or a hospital program. Generally, the less opportunity a student has to interact and learn with non-disabled peers, the more the placement is considered to be restricted. To determine what an appropriate setting is for a student, a team will review the students strengths, weaknesses, and needs, and consider the educational benefits from placement in any particular educational setting. With the differences in needs varying broadly, there is no single definition of what an LRE will be, and each student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Free Appropriate Public Education

Under the IDEA, FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized to a specific child, designed to meet that child's unique needs, provides access to the general curriculum, meets the grade-level standards established by the state, and from which the child receives educational benefit.

Definition of an Appropriate Education Some of the criteria specified in various sections of the IDEA statute includes requirements that schools provide each (disabled) student an education that: is designed to meet the unique educational needs of that one student, addresses both academic needs and functional needs, provides ...access to the general curriculum to meet the challenging expectations established for all children (that is, it meets the approximate grade-level standards of the state educational agency, to the extent that this is appropriate) is provided in accordance with the Individualized Education Program (IEP) is reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits. The free appropriate public education offered in an IEP need not be the best possible one, nor one that will maximize the child's educational potential rather, it need only be an education that is specifically designed to meet the child's unique needs, supported by services that will permit him to benefit from the instruction. The IDEA guarantees only a basic floor of opportunity, consisting of specialized instruction and related services which are individually designed to provide educational benefit.

FAPE according to IDEA Special education and related services Provided at public expense (without charge) Provided under public supervision and direction in conformity with the individualized education program.

Procedural Safeguards What are the students and Parents Rights?

What are Procedural Safeguards? The federal regulations for IDEA 2004 include a section called Procedural Safeguards. These safeguards are designed to protect the rights of parents and their child with a disability and, at the same time, give families and school systems several mechanisms by which to resolve their disputes. At least one time a year, the parents of a child with a disability must receive from the school system a complete explanation of all the procedural safeguards available to them, as parents, under IDEA. This explanation is called the Procedural Safeguards Notice.

What is the purpose of the procedural safeguards notice? The purpose of the procedural safeguards notice is simple: to inform parents completely about the procedural safeguards available under IDEA. These represent their rights as parents and the protections they haveand their child as wellunder the law and its implementing regulations. IDEA states that schools must send the procedural safeguards notice to the parents only one time a school year, except that schools must also give a copy to parents: in their childs initial referral for evaluation under IDEA, or when the parents ask for such an evaluation of their child; When a State complaint is filed and when the first due process complaint is received when a parent requests a copy of the procedural safeguards notice. Your local school district may also post a current copy of the procedural safeguards notice on its website, if it has a website.

What does the Procedural Safeguards Notice contain? (A) independent educational evaluation; (B) prior written notice; (C) parental consent; (D) access to educational records; (E) the opportunity to present and resolve complaints, including-- (i) the time period in which to make a complaint; (ii) the opportunity for the agency to resolve the complaint; and (iii) the availability of mediation; (F) the child's placement during pendency of due process proceedings; (G) procedures for students who are subject to placement in an interim alternative educational setting; (H) requirements for unilateral placement by parents of children in private schools at public expense; (I) due process hearings, including requirements for disclosure of evaluation results and recommendations; (J) State-level appeals (if applicable in that State); (K) civil actions, including the time period in which to file such actions; and (L) attorneys' fees.

Student Records IDEA and other federal laws protect the confidentiality of your childs education records. These safeguards address the following three aspects: the use of personally identifiable information; who may have access to your childs records; and the rights of parents to inspect their childs education records and request that these be amended to correct information that is misleading or inaccurate, or that violates the childs privacy or other rights.

Prior Written Notice The school district must give parents a written notice (information received in writing), whenever the school district: Proposes to begin or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child or the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to the child; or Refuses to begin or change the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of the child or the provision of FAPE to your child. The school district must provide the notice in understandable language

What Does the Notice Include? The written notice must: Describe the action that your school district proposes or refuses to take; Explain why your school district is proposing or refusing to take the action; Describe each evaluation procedure, assessment, record, or report your school district used in deciding to propose or refuse the action; Include a statement that the parent has protections under the procedural safeguards provisions in Part B of the IDEA; Tell you how the parent can obtain a description of the procedural safeguards if the action that your school district is proposing or refusing is not an initial referral for evaluation; Include resources for the parent to contact for help in understanding Part B of the IDEA; Describe any other choices that the child's individualized education program (IEP) Team considered and the reasons why those choices were rejected; and Provide a description of other reasons why the school district proposed or refused the action. Notice in understandable language. The notice must be: Written in language understandable to the general public; and Provided in your native language or other mode of communication you use, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so

PARENTAL CONSENT Consent means: The Parent has been fully informed in your native language or other mode of communication (such as sign language, Braille, or oral communication) of all information about the action for which you are giving consent. The Parent understands and agrees in writing to that action, and the consent describes that action and lists the records (if any) that will be released and to whom; and The Parent understands that the consent is voluntary on The Parent part and The Parent may withdraw their consent at anytime. The Parents withdrawal of consent does not negate (undo) an action that has occurred after they gave the consent and before you withdrew it.

Resolution Options Mediation Local Complaint State Complaint Due Process Hearings Resolution Meeting

Mediation Resolve disputes Voluntary Trained mediator Timely manner Confidential Cannot delay due process If agreement is reached - Legally binding agreement

Local Complaint Signed written complaint Notify State Offer mediation Written response If parents disagree with the results, they can Appeal

State Complaint A statement of how a requirement has not been met Explanation of facts An allegation of a violation Within 60 days, the Department must Conduct an independent investigation Review all information Issue a written decision Extend 60 day time limit

Resolution Meeting If a Due Process Hearing has been requested, a Resolution Meeting is held to discuss all the facts that form the basis of the request so that the school district and the parents have the opportunity to resolve the dispute. it might be the teams last chance to resolve their issues before going to Due Process. but - the meeting doesnt have to take place at all if the parent and the school district agree in writing to waive the meeting, or if the parent and the school district agree to use the mediation process instead.

Due Process Hearings A Request for a Due Process Hearing must include A description of the problem A proposed resolution of the problem The District must send a response within 10 days Explanation of why it proposed or refused an action Description of evaluations used as basis of action Administrative Law Judge Knowledge of IDEA and Florida Rules Not an employee Impartial

Due Process Hearing Rights Both sides have the right to Counsel Present evidence Record of hearing Findings

Conflict Resolution Options

The Individualized Education Program/Plan

IEP An IEP defines the individualized objectives of a child who has been found with a disability, as defined by federal regulations. The IEP is intended to help children reach educational goals more easily than they otherwise would. In all cases the IEP must be tailored to the individual student's needs as identified by the IEP evaluation process, and must especially help teachers and related service providers (such as paraprofessional educators) understand the student's disability and how the disability affects the learning process. The IEP should describe how the student learns, how the student best demonstrates that learning and what teachers and service providers will do to help the student learn more effectively. Key considerations in developing an IEP include assessing students in all areas related to the known disabilities, simultaneously considering ability to access the general curriculum, considering how the disability affects the students learning, developing goals and objectives that correspond to the needs of the student, and ultimately choosing a placement in the least restrictive environment possible for the student. As long as a student qualifies for special education, the IEP must be regularly maintained and updated over the student's primary educational years. Placements often occur in "general education", mainstream classes, and specialized classes or sub- specialties taught by a specifically trained individual, such as a special education teacher, sometimes within a resource room. An IEP is meant to ensure that students receive an appropriate placement, not "only" special education classrooms or special schools. It is meant to give the student a chance to participate in "normal" school culture and academics.

IEP Meeting: Notice Location Time Whom the school has invited Purpose of the meeting Native Language

What Should an IEP Include? This is a brief list of what IDEA requires: A statement of the childs present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including how the childs disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum; A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals; A description of how the childs progress toward meeting the annual goals will be measured, and when periodic progress reports will be provided; A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child; A statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child to advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals; to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and to be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children; An explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class and in extracurricular and nonacademic activities; A statement of any individual accommodations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of the child on State and district wide assessments; If the IEP team determines that the child must take an alternate assessment instead of a particular regular State or district wide assessment of student achievement, the IEP must include a statement of why the child cannot participate in the regular assessment and why the particular alternate assessment selected is appropriate for the child; and The projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications, and the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications.

Present Level - Domains Curriculum & Learning Independent Functioning Social / Emotional Communication Health Care

Present Levels & Goals Statements of: Present Levels of Academic Achievement & Functional Performance strengths, effect of disability, & priority educational need Measurable Annual Goals Evaluation Plan measuring & reporting

IEP GOALS Wording matters! Writing Special Education Goals 9,960,000 hits! Learning a skill Measurable Specific

Sunshine State Standards http://www.fldoe.org/bii/curriculum/sss/

Access Points Next Generation Sunshine State Standards Access Points: Drive the curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment Reflect the key concepts of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards with reduced levels of complexity Ensure access to the standards that apply to all students in the same grade Are written to three levels of complexity: participatory, supported, and independent http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/OnlineParentGuide.pdf

Diploma Options http://www.duvalschools.org/fch/guidance /DCPSDiplomaOptions.pdf http://www.duvalschools.org/fch/guidance /DCPSDiplomaOptions.pdf Standard Diploma Special Diploma

Provision of Services Special Education Related Services Program Modifications/ Accommodations Supports for School Personnel Supplementary Aids & Services

Related Services Developmental Corrective Supportive Assist in the achievement of a goal Help to benefit from special education Nonexhaustive

Provision of Services Date for beginning of services Frequency Location Duration

Transition IEP Standard or Special Diploma Post-School Outcome Transition Service Needs Instruction / Information on Self-Determination Goals based upon transition assessments List of transition services Age of Majority / Transfer of Rights Interagency linkages

Signatures Who attended Parents signature (Exception: Childs first IEP)

Manifestation Determination A decision made by the IEP Team about whether a student's misconduct is caused by the student's disability. Team determines Yes Functional Behavioral Assessment Behavioral Intervention Plan Team determines No Services in different setting

How do you make a Behavior Plan? 1. Identify and Name the Problem Behavior Even if a Certified Behavior Analyst or Psychologist is going to do the FBA, the teacher will be the person to identify which behaviors most impact a child's progress. It is essential that the teacher describes the behavior in an operational way that will make it easy for the other professionals to complete the FBA. 2. Complete the FBA The BIP Plan is written once an FBA (Functional Behavioral Analysis) has been prepared. The plan may be written by the teacher, a school psychologist or a behavior specialist. A Functional Behavioral Analysis will identify target behaviors operationally and the antecedent conditions. It will also describe the consequence, which in an FBA is the thing that reinforces the behavior. Understanding the consequence will also help choose a replacement behavior. A BIP or Behavior Intervention Plan, describes how teachers, special educators and other staff will help a child eliminate problem behavior. A BIP is required in an IEP if it is determined in the Special Considerations Section that behavior inhibits academic achievement. 3. Write the BIP Document Your state or school district may have a form you must use for a Behavior Improvement Plan. It, and your BIP should include: Target Behaviors Specific, measurable goals Intervention description and method Start and frequency of intervention Method of Evaluation Persons responsible for each part of the intervention and evaluation Data from Evaluation 4. Take It to the IEP Team The last step is to get your document approved by the IEP team, including the general education teacher, the special education supervisor, the principal, the psychologist, the parents and anyone else who will be involved in implementing the BIP. The Team has been working to involve each of the stakeholders at the beginning of the process. That means phone calls to parents, so the Behavior Improvement Plan is not a big surprise, and so the parent doesn't feel like they and the child are being punished. 5. Implement the plan Once the meeting is over, it's time to put the plan into place! Be sure that all the members of the implementation team to meet briefly and evaluate progress. Be sure to ask the tough questions. What is not working? What needs to be tweeked? Who's collecting the data? How is that working?

Evaluation Present Level Effect of Disability Priority Educational Need Goal Related Service CONNECT THE DOTS

Resources:

What is the childs Disability? Or suspected disability? NICHCY http://nichcy.org/http://nichcy.org/ http://nichcy.org/disability/s pecific http://nichcy.org/disability/s pecific NICHCY offers brief, but detailed fact sheets on specific disabilities. Each fact sheet defines the disability, describes its characteristics, offers tips for parents and teachers, and connects you with related information and organizations with special expertise in that disability. In English and Spanish

RtI (Response to Intervention) Florida Brochure on RtI http://www.florida- rti.org/_docs/EvaluationsSpecialEd.pdf http://www.florida- rti.org/_docs/EvaluationsSpecialEd.pdf Florida RtI http://www.florida- rti.org/Resources/index.htm http://www.florida- rti.org/Resources/index.htm National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Inc. http://www.nasdse.org/Projects/Respon setoInterventionRtIProject/tabid/411/De fault.aspx http://www.nasdse.org/Projects/Respon setoInterventionRtIProject/tabid/411/De fault.aspx

Does the child take the FCAT or Alternative Assessment? FCAT Accommodations http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/fcattea m.pdf http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/fcattea m.pdf Alternative Assessment http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/depts/ese /FAQ09.pdf Alternative Assessment Manual http://www.fldoe.org/asp/pdf/fl-alt- assessment-manual.pdf DOE Technical Assistance Paper http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb /Get/Document-5831/dps-2010-92.pdf

Does the Child have behavioral issues? Functional Behavioral Assessment and Plans http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/tap99-3.pdf RtI Behavior http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/requestservices_onlin emodules.asp

What does the Matrix mean? http://www.mckay-iep- matrix.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=v iew_page&PAGE_id=13 http://www.mckay-iep- matrix.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=v iew_page&PAGE_id=13 What is Extended School Year (ESY)? http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/y2002-5.pdf What should parents do when services in their child's IEP are not being provided? http://school.familyeducation.com/special- education/ada/38430.html http://school.familyeducation.com/special- education/ada/38430.html

Advocacy Wrights Law www.wrightslaw.com Special Education Advocate www.specialeducationadvocacy.org Central Florida Parent Center www.CFLparents.org Family Network on Disabilities www.fndfl.org The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) www.copaa.org

Questions?

www.fofjax.org www.mhajax.org Please fill out survey

jill hill fane family advocate federation of families of northeast florida mental health america of...

Documents

special education services

education of children

designed instruction

related services definition

supportive services

related services parts

disabilities school

disabilities benefit