Family resource

Handout project
2/4/2018 Maddison Brewster

Reflection Paragraph
There are many different dispositions a professional special education
teacher should possess. This is due to the different situations they will
encounter. It is important for a special education professional to have certain
characteristics, so the students with special needs and their families are given
the support they need. The most important characteristic a professional special
educator needs to have is a calming nature. This is for in the classroom and for
working with parents. In a special education classroom, there will be a
significant amount of behavioral and learning issues. It is important to exude a
calm presence, so the classroom environment is not stressful. If it is stressful,
the students will become more stressed themselves and unable to learn. Due to
this, it is best if the teacher keeps a calm and supportive environment.
Additionally, for many parents, this process of diagnosis, IEP development, and
then their child being a part of a special education program can be
overwhelming. It is important that a special education teacher has a calming
presence. This will calm down the family and reassure them that everything will
work out. Another disposition a special education teacher needs to have is
creativity. This is due to the nature of the job. In the special education field, a
professional must be able to individualize all of their students’ education. This
means that the teacher must come up with creative ways to rewrite lesson plans,
calm students down, adapt the environment, and so much more. The
professional must also use this creativity when creating an IEP with the team, so
the student is given the best possible plan to reach their full potential. The final
characteristic that a special education professional should possess is
adaptability. For the IEP portion of their job, the teacher will need to be
constantly changing the IEP to best fit the student’s current developmental
needs. Along with this, a special education teacher will need to be able to
quickly adapt to emotional outbursts, parental needs, new legislation,
environmental changes, new students, and so much more. It is important for a
special education professional to be able to quickly adapt to changes in every
part of their job. In this ever changing and improving field, the professional
must keep up. This is so every child receives the support and services they
deserve. With these three dispositions, a special education professional will be
better prepared for the challenges that they will face in their important job.
 IEP
Individualized
Education Program
(IEP)

DEAR FAMILIES WITH

EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS,

Our staff is excited to work with your beautiful

child this school year. Together, we will learn from,
explore with, and help guide your family through
A written individualized education
this process of developing an IEP.
program is prepared for each student with
Every student is unique, and their education should
reflect that. That is why an individualized
a disability, including levels of function,
educational program is so impactful. An IEP long-term goals, extent to which the
focuses on emphasizing your child’s strengths, student will not participate in the general
while also offering extra support in struggling education classroom and curriculum,
areas. Through this specialized education program, services to be provided, plans for initiating
your child will have the framework to meet their and evaluating the services, and needed
full educational potential.
transition services (from school to work or
While this process may be a bit overwhelming, we continued education).
as a staff are here to support your family. We are
here to uplift all of your child’s strengths and offer
our guidance and support in areas of struggle. Our
staff will be with your family throughout this entire
process. We are delighted to begin this process with WHAT DOES AN IEP INCLUDE?
you, creating an individualized education program The law requires an IEP to include the
for your exceptional child. following…

• A statement of your child’s present level of

performance (PLOP)—this is how your child is
doing in school now
• Your child’s annual educational goals
“We have no special needs children. Just • Special education supports and services that the
school will provide to help your child reach goals
children… with special needs.”
• Modifications and accommodations the school
- Uwe Maurer will provide to help your child make progress
• Accommodations your child will be allowed
when taking standardized tests
• How and when the school will measure your
child’s progress toward annual goals
• Transition planning that prepares teens for life
after high school
 IEP
Individualized
Education Program
(IEP)

“Every child deserves a champion – an adult who

WHAT TO EXPECT
will never give up on them, who understand the
Once your child has been diagnosed as eligible for an
IEP… power of connection and insists that they become
• The team will develop an IEP for the student.
the best that they can possibly be.”
For this to happen, the family and the IEP team
will meet to discuss the accommodations the - Rita F. Pierson
student will be given. During this time, the IEP
team, which includes the guardians, will begin
outlining the individualized education, services,
and placement for the student. An important part
of this outline is defining the student’s THE TEAM APPROACH
educational goals, determining accommodations,
and providing transitional help if needed. The team we have created to support your student
throughout their special education is committed to
Once your child has their IEP developed… helping make your child reach their full potential.
This team includes many professionals in the
• Their IEP will be implemented. This means that
special education field, the school psychologist, the
the different accommodations your child has guidance counselor, the classroom teachers, any
been offered will become a part of their daily outside professions that may be working with the
school life. During this time, minor adjustments student, and the student’s family. This team is
in your child’s goals may be changed without a student centered, focused on setting goals and
new IEP or another IEP meeting. If the staff collaborative problem solving, and is tracking your
would like to make any major changes to the child’s progress and celebrating your child’s
student’s IEP, they must notify the guardians in successes. It is extremely important for this team to
writing. This way, a new meeting or IEP can be work together to help your child experience
made with the full knowledge of the family. educational success. All members have a
• After the implementation, the IEP will be specialized skill to bring to the team, creating the
evaluated and reviewed. This will typically best support system for your child. We recognize
happen once a year. It is when the student, staff, the important role that the family plays in this
and guardians will gather for a meeting to review process. It is the family’s support that is crucial for
the student’s IEP. This is to hold the staff students with exceptionalities to experience success
accountable for your child’s educational in their education and life. That is why we are
progress. During this meeting, there will be a grateful to be working with you throughout this
discussion about how your child has progressed, process.
changes that may need to be made to the IEP, As the family members, a crucial part of our team,
some assessments of performance will occur, and feel free to contact any member of the team at any
the family will be given time to ask questions. time during this process. We are all here to support
your child and your family. Open communication
between all team members is a key part to creating
a successful IEP.
Government & Community IEP

Resources

UNDERSTOOD COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL

CHILDREN (CEC)
Understood is an advocacy organization whose goal is
to give parents everywhere access to the resources The Council for Exceptional Children is a professional
they need to support their child with special needs. It advocacy organization that advocates on behalf of
is a collaboration of 15 nonprofit organizations that children with exceptionalities. CEC examines policy
work together to give parents well-researched, issues, develops appropriate responses to those issues
practical information, daily access to expert advice and influences local, state, and federal legislation.
that’s free of charge, online parent support groups, Along with this, CEC is dedicated to professional
guidance on how to navigate the Individuals With development for all educators and parents. The
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the IEP organization offers webinars, professional development
process, and so much more. hours, training, and more. This is all done so all children
with exceptionalities are taught by the most informed
For more information visit: and professional educators and parents have the
https://www.understood.org/en information they need to support their child.
For more information visit: https://www.cec.sped.org

“Inclusion works to the advantage of

everyone. We all have things to learn and
we all have something to teach.”
- Helen Henderson

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE THE ARC

The Friendship Circle is a professional organization The ARC is the largest national community-
whose mission is to bring happiness and based advocacy organization for people with
companionship to children and young adults with
intellectual and developmental disabilities.
special needs by celebrating their individuality and
supporting their families. This organization does this
They serve people of all ages. The ARC’s
through a friendship program where a teen volunteer main goal is to ensure that people with
is paired with a child with special needs to create disabilities and their families are given the
meaningful relationships. The teen volunteer spends support and services they need to be fully
one-on-one time with the child with special needs, in engaged in their communities. Some of their
different activities that celebrate the child’s services include: individual and public policy
individuality and gifts. The organization also offers advocacy, residential, educational, and
sibling support programs, life skills classes, camps, vocational services, financial planning,
and more. recreational activities, and more.
For more information visit: http://www.friendshipcircle.com/
For more information visit:
http://www.thearc.org/