You also probably have enough “Parental Rights” notices to wallpaper your living room.

Keeping that paperwork organized is important! Nurses get doctors’ orders wrong. Doctors need to be reminded what they said. You need the stuff available to do your own research. Administrators and facilitators misplace things. When something goes wrong, you can prove what’s supposed to happen, because you have the paperwork – and you can put your hands on it.

Let me tell you what I have done, and then I’ll present a couple of options for you. We have two sons. One son has strictly medical needs. We have lots of test results, referrals, and copay notices. My other son has both medical and educational needs, so his records include IEPs, meeting notices, signature pages, and testing. I finally decided on a binder system. For each child, I have two large binders. One is for school involved stuff (including report cards, etc,) and one is medical. I use binder dividers, per year. 2010 is at the front, 2009 is next etc. I don’t organize inside of that. All the paperwork goes in the proper year, with most recent on top. This keeps all the paperwork out of the rest of the household files, in one place, and at my fingertips when an administrator inevitably misplaces something. My method works for my family. You’ll only use it if it works.

I did a search on your behalf to find out if others have different methods of handling the paperwork. Some various tips I found:

• Regardless of method, keep it consistent. No method will work without consistency.
• Regardless of method, give it a home. It stays there unless you’re taking the records with you to an appointment.
• You might consider a permanent portion, and a mobile portion. IE: Keeping insurance EOB’s and bills already paid in a stationary file, and prescriptions, current IEP, current referrals in a binder to take with you.
• There are others who disagree with me on this, but as a mom, I suggest NOT getting rid of the records after a certain amount of time. Perhaps for financial things, yes (ask your accountant and tax advisor,) but with my kids, I find having a really long over time picture of what’s going on that’s documented helpful with both diagnosis and prognosis.
• Find the time to do it. When you pay your bills, or when you do the rest of your filing… Just do it. Weekly, if you’re really heavy on appointments and therapies at the moment.
• Have a logbook or notepad, and note dates, times, and names of phone conversations. You may never need it – on the other hand, you really might.

Another method I ran into. Digital! I’m honestly considering this option. In this case, the only hardcopies you would keep would be “originals.” Original prescriptions (as the pharmacy needs the original,) and anything that is an original, not copied, signature for example. The rest you would scan, organize on your computer, and then place on a CD or flash drive. This way, you save on space, and if you organize the titles of the documents with proper descriptions and dates, you can put your hands on the file again if needed. Using the flash drive or CD will back up the data should your hard drive crash.

This does not need to be complicated, or expensive. Pick a method, stick with it, and adjust it to suit your family and your personal organizational objectives. You can do it.

2. Put yourself in the other side’s shoes. This works for both school staff and parents, even if you are at odds with each other. It’s not always easy – especially in high stress situations – but taking a minute to try and see the other individual’s perspective in a conflict can help you understand their motives. Teachers, remember that parents are in this for the long haul, not just the current school year.Parents, remember that teachers have many students who need their attention and help as much as your child does.

3. Stay calm, no matter what. Nothing will shut down good communication faster than anger, no matter how legitimate that anger is. Shouting, threatening team members, insults and defensiveness have no place in communication between school and home, and the effects of such actions can be extremely detrimental to your child/student and his or her education. Very few of us can make solid decisions when we’re extremely angry – if you feel your temper begin to flare take a minute to calm down. You’ll be able to express your thoughts and feelings much more effectively, without the risk of shutting down the conversation all together. If faced with other angry team members, your calm approach can be contagious and may even help diffuse an otherwise volatile situation.

4. Prepare in advance. If facing what you think might be a hostile meeting, do your homework before hand.Gather data to support what you say, write down the important points you want to address and review your rights.

5. Don’t play “Gotcha.”For teachers, this means not surprising parents with unexpected information in an formal meeting setting. One of my favorite principals put it best – report cards and IEPs should tell parents what they already know, because they’ve been included and informed from the beginning. On the other side of that coin, parents shouldn’t use the IEP meeting as an opportunity to attack the school or its staff. No one likes unwanted surprises, and either of these ‘gotcha’ moments will do little more than make participants defensive or even unresponsive.

Next week, we’ll look at the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) and what it means for schools, parents and students.

The Individual Education Plan is a legal document which explains the special
education services your child receives and gives the rationale for providing
these services. The IEP includes several sections, each of which outlines a
particular area of the special education process. Most IEPs follow a similar
format.

1. Demographic data. This is basic information about your child, including
   name, address, guardian’s names, age, birthdate and teacher. Your child’s
   disability (or disabilities) will be listed in the demographic data as well.
2. Present performance. This section of the IEP explains how your child is
   currently performing in school. Usually, academic, social, functional and
   behavioral skills are addressed in this section. IDEA requires teachers to
   provide measurable proof of performance, so the information about your child’s
   performance should be based on properly collected data. If your child is not
   performing at grade level in any area, the special education teacher and IEP
   team should be able to show you exactly why.
3. Testing results. The most recent results of your child’s educational
   testing will be listed in this area. Federal law requires each special
   education student be re-evaluated every three years in order to prove he or
   she is still eligible to receive special education services. The data from
   the most recent three-year re-evaluation will be included in this section.
4. Accommodations and modifications. If your child requires any adjustments
   to the curriculum or needs any adaptive equipment or help (i.e. braille
   materials for a visually impaired student, specialized seating for students
   with attention disorders, visual schedules for students with autism, etc.)
   these needs will be explained here. This area also includes any special
   accommodations your child receives while taking state-mandated standardized
   tests. NCLB requires all but the lowest performing 3% of students be tested
   with official state tests, those in the 3% are eligible to take an alternative
   assessment based on teacher observation and data collection. Some students
   with disabilities may be eligible to have extra help with standardized
   testing, including extra time, having parts of the test read to them or taking
   the test one-on-one with a teacher.
5. Related services. If your child receives services from an occupational,
   speech or physical therapist; receives special transportation services or has
   a special plan for behavior management, it will be included in this section,
   along with the rationale for the service.
6. Future planning. Once your student is of a certain age (usually around
   14-15) the IEP will begin addressing plans for your child’s adulthood, outside
   of the public school. This is important to begin when your child is as young
   as possible, to ensure your child’s middle and high school education are
   focused towards helping him or her meet future goals.
7. Goals and Objectives. You child will have a series of goals and
   objectives the school (and you) expect him or her to meet within a designated
   measuring period. This section will explain what you want your child to
   learn, how they will best learn it and how the success or failure of the goal
   will be measured. Additionally, this section will outline how the parent
   will be notified of progress and how often. Goals and objectives have to be
   realistic and easy to measure.
8. Additional information. Depending on the services your child receives,
   and the extent these services impact your child’s school day, other
   information may be included in the official IEP.

A meeting must be held at least once per school year to discuss the contents
of the IEP with all concerned parties present. That includes special and
general education teachers, related service providers, parents, the student and
school administrators (or their representative). A Notice of Case Conference
is sent out to all attendees with sufficient advance notice to all invitees.
Ideally, this notice should be sent at least 10 days before the meeting is
scheduled. Parents have the right to request a different date if they are
unable to attend at a scheduled time. Working together with patience from both
parents and schools can help smooth over any scheduling hiccups. Most states
require that a statement explaining parent/guardian rights and responsibilities
be given at the same time as the Notice of Case Conference.

On the day of the meeting, parents are asked to sign a few different papers.
One will be an attendance record. The attendance record lists the signatures of
all people who were at the meeting. Signing this page does not indicate
agreement with any part of the document or process, it just confirms each
attendee was there. If parents are agreeing to any new testing or services,
they may need to provide a signature as a sign of consent. When the document
has been completed to everyone’s satisfaction, a final page will be signed by
parents giving the school permission to enact the recommendations in the
Individual Education Plan.

Although the law says case conference teams only need to meet once per year,
meeting more frequently may be necessary. If at any time you feel your child’s
IEP needs to be revised because of resolved issue or new circumstances need to
be addressed, you may request a meeting be held.

Join us next week when we’ll be talking about the finer details of IDEA, and
what it means to you and your children.

Steps to Prepare as a Parent

No one knows your child better than you do, which makes you an expert. The people who make special education laws recognize and respect your expertise, which is why your input is such a critical part of the IEP planning and implementation process. Before you go to any meeting with school, take time to pull some information together before hand. It can be hard to put your thoughts and ideas together “on the spot,” by providing yourself with notes you can make sure you cover everything which is important to you. The following tips may help you organize the information you have.

1. Gather reports from doctors, therapists and independent assessment providers who’ve seen your child since the last IEP meeting.

2. Jot down any specific concerns you have with as much detail as you can. Keeping a good record of all your interactions with school will help you gather this information, as well as help you keep track of what you’ve already addressed and what your newest concerns are. Bring evidence to support your concern – for example, if your child is struggling with math, bring examples of math homework or notes from the math teacher.

3. Find the most recent IEP, report cards and other measures of your child’s progress provided by the school. Review these documents and note what you think has been successful and what might need more time or additional help. If your child receives other services such as special transportation, in-school therapists, consultation with specialists or has a behavior intervention plan review how they were addressed in the previous IEP as well.

4. When you receive a notice of case conference form from school, make sure to return it in a timely manner. If you can’t attend on the suggested date, offer three or more alternative times which do work for you. If the meeting occurs during school hours, your child’s teacher will need to find someone to cover his or her class – giving the teacher several availability options will make it simpler for her to devote all his or her energy and attention to the meeting.

5. Have a positive attitude about the IEP experience. While there are many horror stories of parents fighting with school districts, most people who choose to work with kids are there because they love what they do and because they want the best for your child and all the children they serve. A great attitude can go a long way in building a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with your child’s school.

Preparing for Teachers

Teachers can be involved in the IEP process in a variety of roles. Special education teachers are required to work with general education teachers when developing and preparing and IEP. This ensures the plan meets the needs of the student in a way which is most aligned with his or her non-disabled peers. For example, if you are the special education teacher of record for a student with a reading disability, you want to ensure the interventions you use are helping the student perform more in line with students his age who do not have a reading disability. Additionally, special education teachers also work with general education teachers to adapt the general education materials and curriculum to meet the needs of students who receive special education services. A student who is visually impaired, for example, may need textbooks in braille, a way to write in braille, careful classroom arrangement, accessibility software on classroom computers and audio copies of lectures to have the same access to education as peers without visual impairment. In this situation, the general education teacher will work with the special education teacher (in this case a visual impairment specialist) to determine what the student will need to learn what’s being taught. While a special education teacher has more legal requirements to prepare for an IEP meeting, general education teachers who serve students with special needs have just as much to offer the process and a legal requirement to be involved. Depending on your role, your preparation may be a little different. Additionally, there are many different types of both special and general education teachers – this is a generic list, meant to apply in broad terms only.

1. Data is king, long live data. Data is your very best friend, teachers. Data makes what you say about student performance mean something. In a time when teachers aren’t necessarily seen as the experts they are, data gives you credibility. Saying a student is struggling with math is one thing, proving a student isn’t grasping the concept of how to decode words with a series of bits of evidence proves you right and gives you hints on how to solve the original challenge to boot. Collect copious data, even beyond the copious data you’re already required to collect. Collect intensive data a few weeks before the IEP meeting with your collection period ending with sufficient time to analyze what you’ve collected. By now, you have a stack of information about how this particular student is performing in school, hopefully displayed in illustrative graphs and charts. This is fantastic information for you as a teacher, and for the IEP planning team. If you use this data to plan student goals, you have a baseline to measure progress as well as a measurement process you can easily replicate each time you need to assess that particular goal. Data, charts and graphs are wonderful tools, but not effective if you don’t know how to interpret it. As a teacher, you’ve been taught (likely beaten over the head with) the importance of data, as well as been instructed in how to collect and interpret it. Keep in mind most parents do not have that same training in data analysis as you do and take your data to the next level – explain it in terms parents can understand and use.

2. Have a great working relationship with parents long before the meeting. Great special education teachers know how important it is to work with parents in a respectful, mutually helpful manner. Communicate often and honestly with parents, whether it be by note, email or phone call. Encourage classroom visits and participation. If you’ve established an open, honest and frequent line of communication between school and home, you’re much less likely to face a difficult IEP meeting.

3. Remember the good stuff. I’ve sat in more than a few IEP meetings where the focus remained on challenges and negative information about a student. Give as much attention to the strengths, gifts and achievements of the student as you do to the challenges. Something as seemingly insignificant as language choice can make a lifetime of difference to a student with special needs. An IEP is an official record that will follow this student for a long time – make sure the it paints a picture of the whole student.

The next post in this series will appear in one week, in the meantime there will be a few (shorter!) posts on some great Fun and Function products and how they can help in the classroom. Keep your eye out on the Facebook page for an upcoming sweepstakes, too! You can now comment on this blog with your Facebook account, so feel free to jump in the discussion! We’ve been using the Facebook page to highlight the stories of some extraordinary people with special needs, as well as offering some downloadable goodies to help integrate our products into the classroom for all your students. Become a fan to keep up!