Preparing for Your Child's IEP

When you have a child with a learning disability, you will always find yourself having to advocate for them. I do this daily in a thousand different ways. Since I have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting for my son, Asher, later today, I decided to discuss the challenges that often arise when planning, writing, and obtaining assessments and approvals for services.

To explain any child that has a disability that negatively impacts their education and requires specialized instruction, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cognitive challenges, developmental delays, emotional disorders, hearing problems, learning problems, physical disabilities, speech or language impairment, and vision problems may qualify for an IEP. If you think your child might be a candidate for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), here is a link with helpful information on starting the process in Virginia.

When it's time to review or reevaluate your child's IEP, specific tests will need to be conducted to determine your child's needs. I can only speak for my children going forward, but I have included some helpful links at the bottom that may assist in preparing for your child's IEP.

Following this most recent evaluation, Asher underwent assessments in speech, occupational therapy, education, and psychology. In his speech evaluation, he scored 60, with the mean being 100. This score placed him in the 1% for his chronological age. In his occupational therapy evaluation, the scoring is slightly different; it gets grouped into four categories, the first being.

Registration: The degree to which a child MISSES sensory input. An example is that he doesn't realize what is happening around him. He also often averts his gaze if you try to make eye contact with him. Asher scored: More than others.

Sensory Seeking: The degree to which a child OBTAINS sensory input. An example is that he tends to do things in patterns. He will touch everything. These children are often referred to as "sensory seekers." Asher scored much higher than others.

Sensitivity: The degree to which a child DETECTS sensory input. An example would be bouncing off the walls 24/7. Asher typically sleeps only 4 to 5 hours a night. From the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed, he is in a constant state of motion. Asher scored much higher than others.

Avoiding: The degree to which a student is BOTHERED by sensory input. An example would be his sensitivity to loud noises, bright lights, or crowded environments. This is for Asher; when people get in his "bubble," he often retreats to a place where he can be alone. Asher scored higher than others.

In the educational category, he is observed and tracked to assess his progress on his IEP goals from the previous year and his overall ability. Asher and Hazel moved to a new school at the beginning of this year, having been on a waitlist for this school for four, almost five years, and Hazel for two years before they were admitted. Needless to say, the COVID-19 pandemic did horrible things to the Autism community, and finding teachers and techs seemed to be an impossible feat. Every time they made progress at a school, they lost a teacher or technician and had to start all over. They have finally come farther in the past six months than in the past three years. He is making tremendous progress but still needs to catch up to where he should be. 

Lastly, the psychological test is a combination of evaluations. I won't bore you with all the technical terms. Still, feel free to comment or email me if you'd like to discuss it further. Long story short, it's a combination of tests that the examiner, teacher, and I fill out to judge his intelligence, behavior, level of autism, and adaptive behavior. The results of the evaluation were as follows:

The following concerns were noted at school and home: inattention, a significantly high activity level, aggression, noncompliance, unusual behaviors, difficulty socializing with others and withdrawing from social situations, failure to ask for help when needed, and difficulty adapting to change and making independent decisions. Socialization was reported as a relative weakness at home, and communication was identified as a relative weakness in school.

Asher was reported to display the characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the areas of Restricted/Repetitive Behaviors, Social Interaction, Social Communication, and Emotional Responses. Asher's overall Autism Index score was 126, which fell in the Very Likely range for the probability of Autism Spectrum Disorder and requires very substantial support.

Some people might wonder why I chose to share this. As a parent of autistic children, you constantly have to read reports like this; however, as their parent, you have to understand that these reports aren't about bragging about your child. They are about assessing areas where they need HELP. Not about where they excel.

Every time re-evaluation comes around for one of my kids, and I have to open up those evaluations, I know they will not be easy. Your kids are literal pieces of your heart that you broke off to make them, and each time something hurts them or tries to, it breaks your heart, too. You want to protect them from everything. So, I have a little cry, and then I suck it up because I have to. I have to advocate for them. I celebrate their wins. They may not be as big as their peers, but they are significant for their age, and that is what makes me proud of them.

Education Consent Rights for Parents in the State of Virginia link 

Factsheet for preparing for your child's IEP