Guidelines for Making Decisions about IEP Services

IEP Services 1 of 8

Introduction and Overview

This series of slide shows is based on:

Guidelines for MakingDecisions about IEP Services

2001Michael F. Giangreco, Ph.D.

University of Vermont, Center on Disability and Community Inclusion

This document is available in a pdf (portable document format) on the internet

http://www.uvm.edu/~uapvt/iepservices/http://www.state.vt.us/educ/Cses/sped/main.htm

Distributed by theVermont Department of Education

Family and Educational Support TeamMontpelier, Vermont

Development of this material was supported by a grant from the Vermont Department of Education, Montpelier, Vermont under the auspices of Vermont Act 117: An Act to Strengthen the

Capacity of Vermont’s Education System to Meet the Needs of All Students, Section 7 (d) (5).

Purpose This series of slides shows

is designed to offer guidance for making decisions about IEP services for students with disabilities who are eligible for special education.

IEP services refer to special education services and related services (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services).

The guidelines presented here are based on the IDEA and research-based practices.

They are designed to help IEP teams make thoughtful, comprehensive decisions supporting the education of students with disabilities, and enable them to consider several important factors before, during, and after reaching those decisions.

An overview is provided later in this slide show on Table 1.

Audience People who make special

education and related services decisions for students with disabilities

These include students with disabilities and their parents or guardians, special and general educators, related services providers, school administrators, and others

Importance Teams without a shared

approach to decision-making may be working at cross-purposes.

The result can be gaps or overlaps in services, contradictory recommendations from service providers, conflicts among team members, and educational plans that are fragmented and disjointed.

These problems can interfere with students receiving

needed educational supports,

compromise relationships

between families and school

personnel, and may waste valuable

resources.

What’sNext?

The guidelines that follows are divided into three main sections.

Each section offers information, ideas, or questions that can be utilized before, during, and after making decisions about IEP services.

Each section includes subcategories as presented in Table 1.

Determine Special Education andRelated Services• Determine the Special Education

Services (e.g., curricular, instructional,adaptations)

Some Students with IEPsMay Need Related Services

Ask Vital Questions About the Need forEach Proposed Related Service• Is the proposed related service

educationally relevant?• What is the purpose of the proposed

related service?• Is the proposed related service

educationally necessary?

Decide “What” Before “How”

Decide How Services are Provided• Modes and frequency of service• Consider approaches that build school

and classroom capacity• If paraeducator support is proposed, consider its use and impact• Remember, IEP services can be

modified if needed

Table 1IEP Decision-Making about Special Education and Related Services

BEFORE DURING AFTER

Background and Legal Context• Definitions and Related Information

(e.g., special education, relatedservices, court decisions, parentalinvolvement, the IEP Team)

Team Practices• Learn About Team Members• Acknowledge varying decision-making

values (e.g., more is better, only asspecialized as necessary)

• Develop a Shared Framework• Clarify the process• Seek consensus

Learn About the Student• Student Characteristics• Educational Program Components (e.g., IEP goals/ objectives, participation in general education curriculum, general supports/ accommodations)

Learn About the Context• Learn About Existing Options

Implement the Special EducationServices as Documented in the IEP(and Related Services if Identified)• Establish a Schedule• Develop a Written Plan, Including Data

Collection Methods• Ensure Appropriate Training, Supervision, and Support of Team Members• Implement the Plan and Collect Data

Evaluate the Impact of Services• Use Data to Determine the Impact on:

(a) access to and participation inschool, (b) IEP goals/objectives, (c)general education outcomes, and (d)valued life outcomes (e.g., health,safety, relationships, activities, places,choices, self-determination)

• Use Data to Make Decisions About theContinued Need for the Services orAdjustments to the Type, Mode, andFrequency

Here is a list of the remainingslide shows in this series

2 of 8: Background and Legal Context

3 of 8: Team Practices

4 of 8: Learn About the Student & Learn About the Context

5 of 8: Determine the Special Education Services

6 of 8: Some students with IEPs May Need Related Services

7 of 8: Decide “What” Before “How”

8 of 8: Implement the Special Education Services &

Evaluate the Impact of the Services

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Open the next slide show labeled:

IEP Services 2 of 8

Slide show 2 of 8 addresses, Background and Legal Context