A Solutions Oriented Approach to E-Learning for Special Education Students

 A Solutions Oriented Approach to E-Learning for Special Education Students

Here are some creative ways families and IEP teams are making remote/distance learning plans more appropriate and effective!
*Please note each of the following suggestions may or may not be appropriate for each student’s home setting and are based on each student’s unique needs that are substantiated by data.

·       Family receives reimbursement from district for student to attend in-person therapy at an open private therapy center during remote learning

·       Implement reward systems at home with the help of the IEP team

·       Give student choice of how to spend rewards and breaks within schedule

·       Use visual schedule and adapt to home use to facilitate more independence, while creating structure and a consistent daily routine to follow at home

·       Create a calendar and daily visual schedule that includes a balance of work, play, and movement opportunities

·       Utilize social stories for expectations for virtual learning, understanding Covid, handwashing, wearing masks in public, and for other applicable skills for the times

·       Additional online social emotional learning lessons about managing fear and anxiety in uncertain times

·       Use visual timers, alarms, and task boxes to increase attending stamina

·       During virtual lessons, provide hands-on learning opportunities utilizing everyday objects from around the house

·       Schedule one-on-one virtual check-ins with teachers and therapists outside of large group virtual lessons

·       Mix preferred virtual activities with non-preferred virtual activities through the use of first/then phrased as “First (non-preferred activity), then (preferred activity)”.

·       Individualize and incorporate student interests in lessons, while building off of their strengths

·       Accommodation ideas for virtual lessons online: use of large fonts, high contrast lighting, and closed captioning

·       Give the student choices of what work they want to complete

·       Provide extended due dates and chunk assignments into manageable steps for students with attending delays, especially when sitting in front of a screen

·       Send home AAC devices (augmentative and alternative communication devices) and other needed support tools (i.e.: sensory fidgets or toolkit, exercise band on chair, or use of a move-n-sit cushion to increase attending while in front of screen)

·       Provide peer modeling of skills in the form of peer video modeling

·       Create a dedicated home learning space that is free of distractions

·       Use of brain breaks during virtual lessons and digital assignments

·       Provide options for turning in assignments: email, picture texts, paper copy

·       Use of web blockers to block out internet/apps/games to increase productivity and reduce distractions

·       Use of a tri-fold display board to create a private workspace in the home to reduce distractions

·       Teachers/therapists to implement consult minutes for virtual communication with parents to help facilitate behavior management or other skills at home  

·       Use of white noise machine, calming background music or noise reduction headphones in busy households, and the use of blue light blocking glasses when in front of screen

·       Focus on goal skill areas that are more applicable to the home environment such as self-help skills, independent living skills, communicating needs/wants/feelings, executive functioning skills, etc

Details about your child’s remote learning plan should be included in an addendum to the IEP, with a date at which it will be reviewed again. An IEP meeting is not always necessary in order to make a change to the plan at any time if something is not working and/or needs to be further individualized.

 

Written by: Carly Quinlan, IEP Consultant & Advocate with IEP Consulting, LLC

IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com 

What you need to know about the School Bus this August

Every August, bus drivers are busy practicing their routes to try to be on time until all the kinks and bus stop changes can be worked out in those first few weeks back to school. It is very common for the bus times to run late at pick up and drop off during this adjustment period each August. This may throw a wrench into your child's routine, resulting in behaviors.

If your child is one of the many who has a hard time waiting, bring activities with you to the bus stop to keep your child busy. This may include a bus safety social story (safety first!), a box of sensory tools and/or preferred items or books, etc. Determine a plan with your child ahead of time if these items will remain at home or go with the child to school so it does not create a meltdown when the bus arrives. Plan accordingly to what works best for your child.

Inquire with your school district the requirements of transportation services. Many special transportation services require that a parent load and unload their child on and off the bus, including buckling and unbuckling. If a parent is running late to the bus stop at the end of the day, the bus driver may have to wait a few minutes, throwing off the schedule for all the other students on the bus. This is especially a common occurrence at the beginning of the year when the bus is already behind schedule with route changes.

Consider driving your child for the first few weeks, until the bus kinks are worked out. Perhaps you are worried about your child riding the bus for an extended period of time on a hot August day. Or you are concerned about your child's behaviors that may result from the uncertainty of pick up/drop off times. You know your child best. If you feel driving your child at the start of the year may set a precedence that can result negatively, this may not be an option for you. Do what works best for you and your child.

Review the transportation plan accommodations in your child's IEP. Be sure all necessary transportation accommodations needed for your child are listed (ie: car seat, seat belt, buckle guard, preferred seating at the front of bus, hand walked from bus to school door, assistance for navigating bus stairs, bus aide, wheel chair accessible bus, air conditioned bus for medically fragile students, etc).

Be sure all of your child's bus accommodations are being fulfilled and communicated with the bus driver and substitute drivers throughout the year, via a friendly reminder at pick up.

If your child has significant bus needs, you may want to request in writing to have the bus driver and/or director of transportation be invited to IEP meetings for the transportation discussion.

If you have a request for an IEP blogging topic you would like to read about, feel free to comment in the comment section below!

Written by: Carly Quinlan, IEP Consultant & Advocate with IEP Consulting, LLC

IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com 

Tips for Back To School!

It's that time of year again! Back to school! As you busily shop for school supplies, back to school clothes, lunchboxes, and backpacks in preparation for that first day, school staff are excitedly getting their classrooms unpacked, set up, and decorated again after the summer cleaning. They are reviewing class lists and attending a million staff meetings on all the new updates and changes for the school year to keep up with the ever changing requirements of the state. Some new teachers may not have access to the IEP online system right away, as technological glitches and new logins are being worked out. Therefore, he or she may not have even received or had a chance to read your child's IEP yet in it's entirety. School nurses are busy making sure all important medical info cards get into teachers' hands about their students prior to the first day. Therapists are working out their case loads and schedules to fit in all the therapy minutes of their students. Bus drivers are busy practicing their routes to try to be on time until all the kinks and bus stop changes can be worked out in those first few weeks back. As parents, you are busy worried how your child will adjust to the new school year and getting back into the school routine, all the while holding back your tears that your child is another grade level older. It's a crazy, busy, yet exciting time for all! 

New teacher, new classroom, perhaps a new school... this exciting time of year can also be filled with changes that can be challenging and anxiety provoking for some children.

Here are some back to school tips for families you may find helpful:

• Get IEP paperwork organized: You can order my IEP binder organizer download here so you can print and arrange into a binder to bring with you to meetings and parent-teacher conferences. This can help you easily refer to the IEP throughout the year to better understand it, making you look and hopefully feel organized and ready to make the most of the new school year!
• Review the IEP: Review your child's current IEP goals and accommodations to discuss with the new teacher and/or how it will be implemented in the new school setting. Perhaps this conversation may spark the need to add additional necessary accommodations specific to your child's needs within the new setting. (Hopefully this conversation was already had at your child's transition meeting last Spring). 
• Email your child's teacher and therapists about any medical/safety concerns for your child (i.e.: food allergies, breathing treatments, runner behaviors, etc.) Although they should already receive this info from the school nurse prior to the first day, a reminder email disguised as a friendly hello can be helpful to cover your bases on this important safety info for your child!
• Review the transportation plan in your child's IEP: If your child is a bus rider, be sure all necessary transportation accommodations are listed (i.e.: car seat, seat belt, buckle guard, preferred seating at the front of bus, hand walked from bus to school door, assistance for navigating bus stairs, bus aide, wheel chair accessible bus, air conditioned bus for medically fragile students, etc). Then be sure all of these are being fulfilled and communicated with the bus driver and substitute drivers throughout the year, via a friendly reminder at pick up. If your child has significant bus needs, you may want to request in writing to have the bus driver be invited to IEP meetings for the transportation discussion.
• Meet with the teacher & visit the school with your child, prior to the first day: (i.e.: see where the classroom is, meet the teacher, tour the school, see where the bus will come, etc). This will help prepare your child to know what to expect, reducing any first day jitters for both of you!
• Do a dress rehearsal day before the first day: This may include getting up early, dressed, and out the door on time. Visit the bus stop, drive to school, point out the door they will enter, where they will wait, etc. Parents may want to review the map for where the pick up/drop off lanes are if your child is a car rider.
• Use photos to facilitate communication with your child about school: Ask the teacher to email photos of the school, classroom, and staff that will be working with your child. You can print these photos into a book to look at with your child before the first day. This may also be helpful to refer to throughout the school year to facilitate communication about the school day. This is especially helpful for non-verbal students, as they can point to the therapists they saw that day or the locations they visited (i.e.: art room, gym, music room, cafeteria, etc).
• Utilize a social story: Social stories are a great teaching tool to describe a new situation for predictability, teach coping behaviors for it, and/or how to understand and respond in different social scenarios and routines. Many school social workers and special education teachers already have a collection of pre-made social stories they can share with you about going to school. They can quickly personalize it for your child, especially if social stories are listed in the accommodations section of your child's IEP. If it is not, you may want to add have this specifically listed in this section, as social stories can be very beneficial for all students! Be sure to email your child's social worker and/or special education teacher to inquire about social stories!
• Utilize a visual task sequence strip: Does your child have trouble getting ready for school? Perhaps creating a visual task strip for morning routines to keep your child on task would be helpful. You can set a timer for each step to try and beat the clock to make it a game! Email me to inquire how to create and use these within the home setting to make morning routines easier!
• Determine how you and staff will communicate: (i.e.: summary sheet of day, communication notebook, email, phone, etc). Here is an example below of a summary sheet I used as a teacher (credit: Board Maker). It was quick and easy to circle at the end of the day for parents, and also allowed for non-verbal students to communicate to parents about their day through pointing. If your child has a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan), review the section that lists provisions for how the school will communicate behavior progress with the parent. (i.e.: behavior chart, daily/weekly emails, etc.) 

All the best to you on a successful transition into the new school year!

If you have a request for an IEP blogging topic you would like to read about, feel free to comment in the comment section below!

Written by: Carly Quinlan, IEP Consultant & Advocate with IEP Consulting, LLC

IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com 

My brother. My Inspiration. Our story.

My younger brother Brandon is 23 years old and is part of the Gigi's Fox Valley Playhouse. His favorite Gigi's programs have included Teen Tastic, Fantastic Friends, and the Dance at Gigi's program. Music and dancing help Brandon come alive, showing off his dance skills in his "moonwalk", break dancing, jumping, and other cool moves! He looks forward to the Dance at Gigi's classes and performances, as music helps transport him to a place where he can be himself, express himself, feel a part of something, and have social interaction opportunities with other dancer participants. #321daysofacceptance, #bestofall #GenerationG, #Gigi'sPlayhouse

Brandon has a dual diagnosis of Down Syndrome & Autism, along with other conditions which include sensory processing disorder and seizures. Music and dancing has helped Brandon overcome a lot of his challenges to help him be his "best of all"!

My brother Brandon has also inspired me to be my "best of all", to pursue a career in special education for 8 years, and now as an IEP advocate helping families. It had been a rough road for Brandon in his later schooling. He struggled with behavior from the auras of oncoming seizures, something that was unknown at the time. I have learned it is not only important to be your child's best advocate in the school setting, but also within the medical setting. We knew something just wasn't right. (It is important to follow that "mommy intuition" because it is usually always right!). Once it was determined that these behaviors were indeed tied to seizures, doctors were able to find successful medication to control the seizures and low and behold, the behaviors started to greatly decrease! At first, the school had recommended a residential schooling placement. After a bit of advocating with doctors and then with the school, following many 7 hour plus meetings with the school district lawyer, I was able to get my brother Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) behavioral therapy services both in the school and home settings. This helped Brandon learn important coping skills based on the different functions of behavior, while learning how to communicate his feelings. At the time, ABA was newly recognized by school districts as an effective intervention. Now it is one that is widely used by school districts as part of professional development for staff to implement ABA strategies within the classroom. After much advocacy work on my behalf with his school district, Brandon was able to stay in his current placement at the time by bringing the behavioral services to him, so that he could be successful in his least restrictive environment. I learned a lot about the importance of advocacy and was then inspired to do a career shift from teaching special education, to helping other parents advocate for their child's unique needs in the special education system, via the IEP.  

Gigi's Playhouse has had a profound impact on Brandon throughout the years, as well as myself and the rest of my family. It has given Brandon a social outlet and a place to challenge himself, while providing my parents a place to chat with other families for support. This is an organization very near and dear to my heart! I have been a Gigi's Playhouse volunteer, parent presenter, as well as a group leader for Fantastic Friends for adults with Down Syndrome.

Seeing Brandon's strength and determination to overcome his challenges, as well as those of other participants at Gigi's Playhouse, has been inspirational! It has further inspired me to never give up fighting for these kids and young adults, giving them a voice to get their needs met through effective advocacy.  

For updates on IEP advice and tips, be sure to like IEP Consulting, LLC's new Facebook page! Feel free to tag your friends in your online support groups and Special Needs PTA! The more resources in parents' hands to become their "best of all", the better, so keep spreading the word! 

https://www.facebook.com/IEP-Consulting-LLC-1725330307778410

Written by: Carly Quinlan, IEP Consultant & Advocate with IEP Consulting, LLC

IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com 

How & Why to Take Good Notes in Your Child's Next IEP Meeting

Taking notes is a great way to document exactly what was discussed in your child's IEP meeting. In every IEP meeting, you may see more than one person on his or her laptop quickly typing away documenting every detail for the school's copy of meeting notes which will be included in the final paperwork you receive at the end of your meeting. However, not every detail that is important to you will be included in their notes.

To ensure you fully understand your child’s IEP, you may want to take your own notes in the following areas listed below. By the end of the meeting, you should understand exactly how the following areas will be fulfilled for your child. If you are not sure, ask! If you disagree, speak up because you are part of the team and CAN contribute your thoughts and ideas! 

Note taking areas you may want to focus on:

--new goals your child will be working on for each area

--accommodations & modifications

--behavioral supports (if applicable)

--qualify for Extended School Year (ESY)?

--special bus transportation details

--your child's placement

--amount of time spent with typical peers

--the what, when, where, & how of related service minutes (i.e.: for speech, OT, PT, social work, adaptive PE, etc)

--the school's responses to each of your concerns, requests, thoughts and ideas so you can follow up on these later to keep all accountable

Email me for your FREE copy of "A Parent's Note Taking Template for the IEP Meeting" to help keep your note taking on track during the meeting. IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com 

It is a good idea to cross reference your notes with the final copy of the IEP you receive after the meeting, to ensure all areas of the IEP were updated accurately, as discussed. Sometimes important details and edits don't save accurately in certain IEP programs due to technical glitches, and sometimes there is just so much discussing going on, the school team may forget to update certain things. (I have seen this happen many times.) So if you see any discrepancies, bring it to the IEP team’s attention as soon as possible, to make an amendment to the IEP. 

If you are too overwhelmed in the meeting to take notes or not sure how to make sure all changes were accurately updated in the appropriate areas of your child's new IEP, an IEP consultant/advocate can do this all for you!

If you have a request for an IEP blogging topic you would like to read about, feel free to comment in the comment section below! Also, be sure to like IEP Consulting, LLC's new Facebook page for updates on IEP advice and tips! Feel free to tag your friends in your online support groups! The more resources in parents' hands, the better, so keep spreading the word! 

https://www.facebook.com/IEP-Consulting-LLC-1725330307778410

Written by: Carly Quinlan, IEP Consultant & Advocate with IEP Consulting, LLC

IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com 

How To Organize All That IEP Paperwork

If you have a child with an IEP, you know you will undoubtedly be receiving a TON of paperwork, forms, reports, etc all the time! It can be very confusing as to what each one is and what it all means. Staying organized as you receive each set of paperwork can help alleviate the feeling of being so overwhelmed.

Creating an IEP 3 ring binder with tab dividers and a 3 hole puncher can help you not only look but feel more prepared for your next IEP meeting.

Email me at IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com for how to order copy of my IEP Binder Organization set! This packet includes divider page covers to organize all the paperwork you receive from your school. My packet also includes helpful handouts such as parent-school communication tools, IEP acronyms and definitions, meeting prep tools for the parent, meeting note taking tools, and more!

Ideas for divider pages for your IEP binder organization or filing system may include:

--Procedural Safeguards (you will receive a copy of this document annually)

--Domain paperwork updated every 3 years or as needed (includes consent for evaluation or re-evaluation, Identification of Needed Assessments, & Evaluation Reports)

--IEP Meeting Invite & Draft of Reports for your upcoming meeting (you should receive a draft copy of updated progress and draft of proposed new goals before your next annual review IEP meeting)

--Finalized current IEP in place (to be replaced after each annual review meeting)

--Meeting Notes (include your own notes as well as the school's notes)

--IEP Amendments if applicable (amendments are edits/changes to the IEP throughout the year)

--Progress Reports on Goals & Report Cards (you may want to tab each goal by related service area using post-its)

--Parent-School Communication (copies of emails and notes from school staff to quickly refer to later if needed)

Once you receive your finalized paperwork after your IEP meeting, you may want to tab the following pages with post-it notes so you can easily refer to each section when needed:

--Present Levels of Performance

--Behavior Plan (if applicable)

--Goals & Objectives/Benchmarks

--Accommodations, Supports, & Modifications

--Services, Minutes, & Placement

--Transportation

--ESY (Extended School Year)

--Transition Plan (starting at age 14 ½)

Store old IEPs in a separate file in chronological order, marked with the dates it was in place. You may want to refer back to it later, even if it is just to see how far your child has come over the years.

You may want to create a separate binder(s) to store/organize student work samples by grade, including tests/quizzes (both good & bad), homework, etc. You can use it to refer to in a meeting and/or to document your child’s growth.

To order printable download of "A Parent's IEP Binder Organization Set", visit:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Parents-IEP-Binder-Organization-Set-3528792

If you are unsure or too overwhelmed, hand over all your paperwork to me and I can help you sort it out, organize, and make sense of it all as part of my report review service!

To place an order, it is quick, easy, and free to create an account for access to tons of great parent resources on TeachersPayTeachers.com. You don't have to be a teacher to shop! Shop where the teachers shop for printable downloads and resources for your child! 

Also, be sure to like IEP Consulting, LLC's new Facebook page for updates on IEP advice and tips! Feel free to tag your friends in your support groups! The more resources in parents' hands, the better, so keep spreading the word! https://www.facebook.com/IEP-Consulting-LLC-1725330307778410

If you have a request for an IEP blogging topic you would like to read about, feel free to comment in the comment section below!

Written by: Carly Quinlan, IEP Consultant & Advocate with IEP Consulting, LLC

IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com 

Behavior Intervention Plans: What You Need To Know!

A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) can be part of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) if your child's behavior interferes with his or her learning and/or the learning of others. A BIP is how an IEP addresses the child's negative behaviors called "targeted behaviors". The first step to getting a BIP is a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) with parent's consent. This assessment looks at behavioral data to determine the possible function of the behavior. All behavior is a form of communication.
Functions, or purpose, of behavior may include:

• to gain attention
• to escape/avoid something non-preferred
• to gain access to a preferred tangible
• to get automatic sensory stimulation (i.e.: hand flapping)
• a medical cause

A well written and implemented Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) can make all the difference in a student's success at school. A student can't get to academic learning until behavioral learning is under control. A BIP should include specific behavioral strategies and supports, motivators and rewards for positive reinforcement, and the teaching of replacement behaviors based on the identified function of behavior. There should also be an IEP goal to go with the BIP to monitor progress toward his or her behavior goal. A correct identification of the function of behavior can allow for an effective BIP, as evidenced by the reduced frequency and severity of your child's targeted negative behaviors.

However, an incorrect identification of the function of behavior can actually worsen your child's behavior. Therefore, it is important to closely monitor the effectiveness of the current BIP.

If your child is having behavior issues at school, stay in frequent contact with the social worker, teacher, and school team. If your child is not making progress and/or is regressing with his/her current Behavior Intervention Plan, then this necessitates the team to re-look at the FBA and BIP to determine what changes need to be made to help the child become more successful. Perhaps this may include reconsidering the function of the behavior and/or changing up the motivator & reinforcers to make it more enticing to the student.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the scientific study of behavior and learning. This can make all the difference when writing and implementing an effective BIP.

You may want to contact an IEP advocate to help you when:

• your child's behavior is causing the school team to reconsider your child's placement
• your child's behavior is getting worse in severity and frequency
• you disagree with the determined function of behavior, interventions, or any other component of the current BIP
• your child does not yet have a BIP but continues to have behaviors that interfere with the learning environment
• the team is not teaching your child appropriate replacement behaviors that serve the same function in a more appropriate way (i.e.: student will slap his desk to replace striking out at others)
• the school refuses to try a 1:1 aide or outside ABA therapist when behavior continues to worsen
• your child gets suspended or expelled for behavior that is the result of his or her disability