The starting point of the IEP process is the present levels of performance. We need a starting point for the student’s performance, particularly in relation to the student’s peers. Many states have published grade level standards for a particular grade and academic subject (such as reading, writing and math), so you can go on their website and compare how your child is performing compared to the state standard.
So, determine where your student falls in terms of academics, behavior, fine and gross motor skills, sensory skills, social skills, receptive and expressive language, etc. This information leads to their present levels of performance in these areas.
As discussed earlier, the present levels information comes from the assessment process. From there, we look at areas of need.
The areas of need come from the present levels, whereby we determined whether the student is functioning below grade level standards in each area. And those areas of need are going to be addressed by the IEP.
Next, we look at accommodations and modifications, such as front row seating, extra test time, quiet spaces for test time, etc. Those accommodations and modifications can all be written into the IEP.
Next, we look at goals. Goals are designed to address the areas of need. We create a goal for expected progress in one year’s time in the particular area of need.
So, based upon the information we have about this child, what do we expect they can achieve in one year’s time? Therefore, goals are supposed to match the areas of need, and you look at one year’s attainable progress.
Next, we look at services. What services are necessary so the child can attain or accomplish the goal in each area of need. If, for example, you have goals in reading, writing, in math, one would expect that there would be services to assist the student with each of those areas. If you have goals in behavior or socialization, there would be services to support those goals so the child can make that one year’s progress in those areas. If you have goals in communication, such as receptive or expressive language, then one would expect you would have a speech language professional provide services to the child. Or if you have goals in fine motor, gross motor or sensory needs, one might expect that an occupational therapist would provide those kinds of services to the child.
So, the services should match the goals. Note that if you don’t have a goal in an area of need, it’s going be very difficult to get services for that area of need. The starting point is always with the areas of need, then the goals, then the services.
Consequently, make sure goals are written in every area of need.
Finally, placement is the final component of the IEP. Placement is the environment where the program is implemented in the least restrictive environment.Therefore, placement is the last decision in the IEP process. It’s not the other way around. We don’t decide the placement first, such as a self-contained special day class, and then decide what goals and services are going to occur within that placement. Instead, we determine areas of need, d evelop goals to address those areas of need, list services to address those goals, and then decide the appropriate placement to carry out all of that programming for the student in the least restrictive environment.
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