A Great IEP Writer Does These 5 Things
Just like all teaching-related skills, learning how to write an outstanding IEP comes with a lot of practice. No one is fabulous at it their first time out. However, there are similarities between the things teachers do to create effective IEPs. In fact, a great IEP writer does these five things below to craft a […]
First IEP Meeting Tips for Special Ed Teachers
No matter how many IEPs you have sat through, there is always a sense of nervousness when facilitating your first IEP meeting. These teacher-tested first IEP meeting tips for special ed teachers can help make it easier and calm some of those first-meeting jitters! Even veteran teachers get nervous before IEP meetings, so for the […]
Data Collection Shortcuts That Save Teachers Time
Teachers are always crunched for time, that’s no secret. And we have a lot of paperwork, that’s another not so secret secret. So any little tips or tricks we can pick up along the way to help us save a few minutes are like gold in our book. Today The Intentional IEP is going to […]
Determining How Many Trials Per IEP Goal or Objective
Each IEP you write is individualized, that’s the purpose of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for our students with special needs. When you are writing IEP goals, you shouldn’t be using one standard measurement for skill mastery. The IEP goal trials also don’t have to be one specific amount of problems or questions per progress […]
What to Do When You’re Burned Out on Writing IEPs
There comes a time in every special educator’s life when writing IEPs leads to feelings of being burned out. And trust me, IEP writing burnout is real.The constant pressure to make sure your students’ needs are addressed in detail with the appropriate accommodations and interventions can weigh on even the most experienced of teachers.So, what […]
Prompt Hierarchy and Using Prompting Effectively
As special education teachers, we often need to give directions and help our students learn how to respond appropriately to complete a task. For example, how to use glue sponges or how to button a sweater. We can start with the lowest level of prompting, or there are times when a behavior needs to be managed […]
Determining IEP Goal Objectives and Benchmarks
Over my years as a special education teacher who has taught in multiple states, I’ve realized that the district or school you work for probably wants you to write IEP goals differently than your neighboring county or state. While this isn’t necessarily a “bad thing”, it definitely makes it more difficult to know what a […]
The Best Thing I Ever Did for My IEP Writing Self
There are so many parts to a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP)… and these parts are constantly being changed and revised on at least a yearly basis at minimum. An IEP is a living document! As part of the IEP Team, you are responsible for drafting the entire IEP (this depends on what state you […]
How to Make Student IEP Binders
Are you thinking about making data binders for your students? While they are a great idea, knowing what to put in data binders to make them useful is key. With so many options of materials to put in the binders, sometimes the most challenging part is whittling them down so that they do not contain […]
Addressing Play IEP Goals Virtually
Play goals are an essential part of many Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). They are integral to a child’s development, and, for many young students, they are the key to success. However, if a student’s Least Restrictive Environment is virtual learning, figuring out the best way to address play IEP goals virtually can be challenging. Whether […]
IEP Accommodations for Virtual Learning
With virtual learning comes the need for adjusted IEP accommodations to help students be successful. Figuring out what those accommodations should look like is challenging, though. This list of possible accommodations for virtual learning might help your IEP team when moving students into this Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): 1. The student can take breaks throughout […]
Why IEPs Create Sleepless Nights for Teachers
No matter how many Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) a teacher has written throughout her career, writing IEPs keeps teachers up at night! For some teachers, the stress of finding the right words makes sleep impossible. For others, the worry that the services will not be enough is what causes sleepless nights. No matter the reason, […]
The ABC’s of IEPs
There is so much planning that goes in to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for students with disabilities. There are many different things to think about when planning and writing an IEP to make sure it is the best possible plan for each student. After all, the I stands for Individualized. We decided to come […]
Basic Anatomy of an IEP
Special Educators are professionals at writing Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, for their students. And while all states have different requirements and guidelines for IEPs, all of these IEP documents have the same basic anatomy. Below you will learn about the number of basic parts of a student’s IEP, and if you’re looking for more […]
Why are IEPs Important?
We all know what IEP’s are- Individualized Education Programs. However, we may not understand why an IEP is so important! Did you know that IEPs didn’t even exist until 1975? Before that, millions of children with disabilities were denied a free, appropriate public education (FAPE) due to their disabilities. IEPs give students legal protection, and […]
General Ed Teachers: Here’s What You Need to Know About IEPs
General education teachers have a lot on their plates, just like special education teachers do. General ed have an entire classroom to manage, papers to grade, and a million things to think about on a day-to-day basis. With full inclusion becoming the norm in most school districts around the country, general education teachers who may […]
Special Ed Jargon Everyone Should Know
No matter what subject you teach, chances are that you will eventually teach students with IEPs. Because of this, it’s important that you know common special ed jargon! The Oxford Dictionary defines jargon as “special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.” This […]
Quick Tips for Holding a Virtual IEP Meeting
Schools must ensure parents have an opportunity to participate in the IEP process, including the IEP meeting. If a parent requests a virtual meeting, the school must consider and provide reasonable accommodations. If in-person attendance is not feasible, IDEA allows participation via: When it comes to holding an IEP meeting, we know that under the […]
Important Special Ed Acronyms All IEP Team Members Should Know
LRE? FBA? LMNOP? Anything associated with special education can sound like alphabet soup to the untrained ear, and as special educators we talk in a special lingo – re: acronyms and jargon. Knowing special education acronyms and jargon is crucial for several reasons, especially for special education teachers, parents, and service providers. The IEP Process […]
3 Benefits of Using an IEP at a Glance
Depending on the severity of a child’s disability, IEP’s can contain a massive amount of information! Although all of the information on an IEP is important for documentation purposes, there are some parts that need highlighted for proper IEP implementation. But how do we make sure that teachers get enough information about a student with […]
Time Saving IEP Writing Tips for Teachers
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are notorious for taking over the lives of special education teachers. How can you actually plan during your planning period when you have 3 IEPs to write? These documents carry a lot of weight and have a LOT of sections, and to put it simply – IEPs take TIME to write. […]
Streamlining the IEP Process (for Teachers)
Let’s just tell it like it is: Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are time consuming and long. It’s the honest truth. Teachers often say that it takes 4+ hours for them to write a quality IEP. And I know that you know IEPs, which means you also know that writing the IEP is only a fraction […]
Determining IEP Goal Mastery Criteria
As we know, IEP goals must be measurable. We collect data and report on IEP goals that we have assigned levels of mastery to. But how do we determine if a goal is “mastered”? What criteria must a child meet before we determine that there has been goal mastery? One of the big needs for […]
What is and isn’t Inclusion?
Inclusion is defined as: “all students are presumed competent, are welcomed as valued members of all general education classes and extra-curricular activities in their school, fully participate and learn alongside their same age peers in general education instruction based on the general education curriculum, and experience reciprocal social relationships.“ Inclusion is a team effort. When […]
Tips for Writing IEP Transition Plans
If you are teaching middle school or high school, you are very familiar with IEP transition plans. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) tells us that once a student turns 16 (younger in some states), they must have a transition plan written into their IEP. The purpose of a Transition IEP is to prepare […]
Why Transition IEPs Still Need Academic Goals
Transition – this is a word we hear a lot with our upper grades students in special education. Let’s start by going back to what the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) says about transition IEPs: IDEA 2004 tells us that transition goals must be included in a student’s IEP no later than when they […]
3 Ways to Help Parents Advocate
The IEP process is a lot for a teacher. There is SO much paperwork, so many important factors to add, to remember, language to use, and language to avoid. Plus, special education teachers have to do this for a LOT of students! With all the volume of work surrounding IEPs, we often forget how overwhelming […]
Keeping Families Included in the IEP Process
When we think of those in charge of crafting a well-written Individualized Education Program (IEP), we often think of the special education teacher, general education teacher, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist… and so on and so forth. If we limit our “team” to those working in the school, we are missing out on a huge […]
Including Students in the IEP Process
For some special education teachers, the thought of including students in the IEP process is energizing, and for other special education teachers, this thought is incredibly overwhelming. Both sets of feelings are valid. The vast spectrum of student needs that fall under the special education umbrella allows for a wide variety of participation possibilities within […]
Tips for Writing a Rock Star IEPs
A large and integral part of a special educator’s job revolves around IEPs. From writing them to attending meetings to making sure they get implemented, we live and breathe IEPs. Over the years, and with experience, you’ll learn a lot of tips and tricks for IEP writing. But what if you’re just starting out? Or […]
Who to Invite to the IEP Meeting and Why
After hours of writing and planning out the perfect Individualized Education Program(IEP) for your student, it can feel like such a relief that it is finally completed! But – don’t stop there! There are still a few more steps you need to take to ensure that the actual IEP meeting will be smooth, efficient, and […]
IEP Accommodations VS. IEP Modifications
Accommodations and modifications. They are two words that are frequently tossed around the world of special education, and sometimes used interchangeably. However, it is important that we differentiate between the two terms, because they mean two very different things! Legally, we need to use the correct terminology on IEPs and other documents, so let’s take […]
Who to Ask for Input for a Child’s IEP
When writing an IEP for a student with a disability, it is important to ask for input from many different sources. But why is this? Why not just ask for input from any general or special education teacher who works with that child, and be done with it? The answer is simple! Different people in […]
IEP Meeting Do’s and Don’ts
IEPs are the foundation to a quality special education program. In our teacher preparation programs, we practice writing present levels of performance, measurable goals, and finding just the right accommodations and modifications. But – what about the actual IEP meeting? The entire team in one place, reading your well crafted document out loud – PARENTS […]
The Difference Between IEPs and 504s
When you start working in special education, it’s impossible to be prepared for the amount of acronyms and jargon that you’ll need to learn and remember. Give yourself time, grace, and a notebook to write everything down. While it seems like a lot, knowing the ins and outs of some of this new professional terminology […]