Individual Education Plan (IEP)Resources to Help You Effectively Advocate for Your Child
It’s that time of year again – when teachers and schools start to develop and send home Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). The good news is, you can play a big role in advocating for your child in the IEP process to ensure that your school has high expectations for your child's success and creates a positive learning environment. Jolene and Beth from our Family Support Team has gathered up some resources to assist you in preparing for the IEP processes and advocating for your child. If you need more support or would like us to (virtually) attend a school meeting with you, contact the Family Support Team at 519-396-9434.
8 Special Education IEP Terms Parents Should Know The process of developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP) can sometimes seem like it involves a foreign language. Parents often find the acronyms frustrating. Here is a list of terms, compiled by Valentin & Blackstock Psychology, that can help you learn the ‘IEP Lingo’.
Parent’s Role in the Individual Education Plan Parents have an important role to play to help their child succeed at school. However, they are often unsure of how to help and may defer to the teacher and/or other school staff as they are the “experts”. Teachers know a lot about the curriculum and how students learn, but they are not experts on your child – you are. This blog post from Easter Seals Ontario helps prepare parents to take an active role in developing their child’s IEP.
Positive Advocacy Strategies for School Part of Autism Ontario’s on demand webinar series, this video features well-known parent advocate and special education teacher Ed Mahony. He shares important skills that parents need to develop to help make the IPRC process work for them/thier child.
Creating Positive School Experiences for Students with Disabilities A successful school experience for students with disabilities is significantly impacted by the attitudes and behaviours of students, staff and the overall school commitment towards inclusion. This article is from an American source but offers important insight into facilitating a positive and inclusive school climate. There are also several ideas that can be incorporated into a child’s IEP to promote raised expectations and attitudes.
Addressing Bullying in a Child’s IEP While this is an American source, it shares great examples of goals and interventions that could be incorporated into a child’s IEP to address bullying or build stronger social skills to promote a more positive school experience.