Abstract
Education policy in modern state singles
out the education of persons with disabilities. Moreover, the state through
legislative acts confirms the provision of equal rights for this category of
children in order for them to receive a full-fledged quality education in
accordance with their ‘special educational needs.’ At the same time, today,
such children have the opportunity to receive this education in the conditions
of a general high school, together with their peers who do not have any health
restrictions. Inclusive education requires the application of individually
oriented technologies in the work of teachers. Within the framework of the
organization of individually-oriented assistance to a child with disabilities,
specialists who are able to provide psychological and pedagogical support and general
education teachers develop an individual educational program (IEP) for such children.
The IEP is aimed at overcoming the discrepancy between the process of teaching a
child with a psychophysical violation, according to educational programs of a
certain stage of education and his/her real possibilities, based on the
structure of his/her violation, cognitive needs and possibilities. Taking into
account the results of evaluation, this plan contributes not only to the
acquisition of academic knowledge from children’s certain needs, but also to
their sociocultural and labor adaptation.
Keywords: certain needs, individualized educational
plan, evaluation process
Individual Educational Program (IEP)
Instructional Manual
Introduction
Inclusive education is an approach
and a continuous process of developing educational policies and practices that
are aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for any person to enjoy the basic
rights to development and education. The development of inclusive education is
one of the important tasks of national education policies and strategies.
Individual planning of the educational process is carried out in accordance
with the conclusions and recommendations that are formulated in the course of
comprehensive and multidisciplinary assessment of the child and aimed at
ensuring progress in the areas of the child’s development. The individualized
educational plan is an integral part of a package of curriculum documents that
ensure the development of inclusive education in general education
institutions. The educational plan promotes the integration of the child into
the general educational process, providing his/her psychophysical development,
depending on his/her potential. The IEP Instructional Manual gives parents
information about the meaning of the IEP, the steps of its obtaining and how to
achieve results through the annual evaluation.
An Individualized
Educational Plan Provides Assistance to Children with Certain Needs
Individualized educational plan is a document on
structural and individual planning of certain tasks of teaching and adapting
the requirements of the curriculum to the level of the child’s development with
certain needs (Autism Speaks, 2017). The individualized curriculum should be a
learning plan that specifies what, when and how to teach the child, at which
points additional explanations should be made to understand the training
material and build the appropriate skills. The figure 1 reveals what the
special education cycle includes.
Figure 1. A photo
of the special education cycle (Bourgeois, 2013)
The individualized plan contains some basic
components:
- general information about the child;
- strengths and needs specified in the conclusion of the service of psycho-pedagogical support;
- medical instructions and recommendations;
- data on the results of evaluations;
- special characteristics of the child;
- learning objectives for the child, determined in accordance with his/her potential;
- adaptation of the curriculum and the educational environment;
- evaluation strategies that help to identify achievements and progress;
- periodic update of results and recommendations;
- transition activities (depending on needs).
The IEP includes the following functions:
• identification and prioritization of
training and development needs of the child;
• definition of educational goals and
objectives, as well as tasks in terms of rehabilitation development of the
child for short, medium and long term;
• definition of assistance together
with children, family, specialists of individual areas;
• distribution of responsibilities, in
accordance with the available resources (human, material and temporary),
including for children and parents;
• monitoring, evaluation and
reassessment of the process of psycho-pedagogical assistance that a child is
provided with.
Individualized approach is based on the available
potential mental, physical, social development and the level of motor,
intellectual, school and other skills of the child. Individualized educational
plan includes an integrated evaluation of strengths, interests and needs of the
pupil. It helps to ensure progress in the development of the child (emotional,
motor, cognitive, speech, social), in accordance with his/her potential and
define strategies, resources, technologies and services that will contribute to
his/her development. Thus, it should be noted that a teacher working with a
child with certain needs should actively participate in filling the
individualized plan, because he/she is responsible for adapted or modified
curriculum. The figure 2 shows that the process of developing and implementing
the IEP involves the integration of several specialists. In order to achieve
the expected result, it is necessary for all the members of the IEP team to
establish relations of effective cooperation, constructive communication and
mutual respect. It is important for all team members to know the child very
well. Also, it is necessary for the team to have a comprehensive view of the
child’s strengths, interests and the needs. The team should have adequate
educational strategies and the relevant decisions on the integration of support
services in the classroom and at the institution level to provide adequate
support for the child with certain needs.
Figure 2. A photo
of the IEP team (Illinois Schools. Assistive Technology. Support Website, 2015)
Significant
Steps for Consideration When in the Process of Obtaining the IEP
Evaluation is a complex, continuous and dynamic
process of quantitative and qualitative assessment of the developmental
features and abilities of the child to learn. The IEP should describe the level
of the children’s knowledge and help to overcome certain difficulties connected
with studying (Parent to Parent in Georgia, n.d.). The implementation of
educational inclusion of children with certain needs involves collecting more
complete information, interpreting data, setting tasks and further solving
them, focused on the needs of those to whom they are intended. It is very
important that the evaluation process takes place in an empathic environment of
full trust, respect for children and for their parents. The partnership with
parents in the evaluation process is very significant. In other words, parents
are entitled to receive the necessary consultations and take part in
decision-making. Also, it involves a multi-level approach: social,
psychological, educational and medical.
Parents’ Participation and
Understanding
The IEP should be coordinated with the parents and the
child. Information on the results of consultations is entered in the plan and
is mandatory. The figure 3 shows that parents and pupils should confirm under
the signature, that the IEP was agreed with them. If a parent or a child refuses
to reconcile the IEP, an entry is made and certified with their signature. The
consultation process is carried out in accordance with the plan, approved by
the director of the educational institution. This process may include telephone
talks with parents, as well as discussions of pedagogical workers with parents.
In this case, the date is indicated when the IEP option will be sent to the
parents for agreement. After the development and approval of the plan, the
development team should make sure that all persons who will help the child know
the content of the relevant document and have its copy.
Figure
3.
A photo of signing the IEP (Autism New Jersey, 2015)
Attracting attention and informing members of the
community, including parents, about the educational inclusion of children with
certain needs, is the school’s original task. It is very important for parents
or the guardians to understand the process of the IEP, since it can help to
have a good working relationship between the representatives and the child (OCECD,
2015). It is very important that both the school and parents create favorable
conditions for the pupils with certain needs to feel themselves as a part of
the community. They can and should be involved in the activities of society in
order to feel helpful, realized and respected. Unfortunately, there are still
situations when members of the community, including parents, discriminate
against children with certain needs, and exclude them from the community. For
these reasons, the school should carry out wide-ranging activities to attract
attention and inform parents and community members about the social and
educational inclusion of such children.
The school cooperation with the family and community
can be realized through home visits and invitations of parents to school, as
well as through the organization of individual counseling and educational
activities for parents and community members. It can take the form of thematic
sessions, training seminars, trainings, roundtables, debates, etc., during
which topics, such as the educational system changes, taking into account
inclusion, can be discussed. The figure 4 reveals that the role of the family
and society in creating an inclusive environment, the importance of effective
communication between parents and child, and the promotion of support are the
keys to success. It is advisable to submit publications and video materials that
would demonstrate successful experience in this field, specific individuals who
could find solutions to overcome difficulties. Also, the meetings of parents
and other members of the community with specialists in the field of social
protection, culture, health from the community can be organized. It is
important that the activity has been designed very carefully, taking into account
the group characteristics. Participants (parents, and other members of the
community) should be informed about it in advance, and upon receipt of the
invitation letter it is possible to get a 100% presence.
Figure
4.
A photo of parent’s partnership
(European
Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, n.d.)
Evaluation Request
A multi-disciplinary in-school commission, together
with a social worker, establishes a list of children with certain needs who
face difficulties in the educational process. A parent or school personnel may
write to the administrator, in order to get an evaluation of the child’s
abilities (Maryland State Department of Education Division of Special
Education/Early Intervention Services, 2008). This stage is carried out before
the beginning of the academic year (but also during the school year, if the
child arrived in the populated point during the school year) and aims to
identify such children from the community and schools in order to assess the
needs for supporting educational inclusion. Also, the initial needs evaluation
is conducted to support the inclusion of children with certain needs. With this
purpose, a multi-disciplinary in-school commission, together with a social
worker, evaluates the educational situation in the family of the child. A
questionnaire is an evaluation tool. The structure of the questionnaire
highlights issues that are related to the educational situation of the child
and the difficulties that he/she faces in the learning process, and questions
regarding the educational environment in the family. Special attention is paid
to the following aspects: material conditions; family relationships, namely
parents - children, the child - the child, the parent - the parent;
parent/parents to the education/training process; the level of participation of
parents in training and the child’s education (attitude towards the school,
plans for the future). Collection of information allows the commission to
identify the needs for the real support for the educational inclusion of the
child.
The next step in assessing the needs for supporting
educational inclusion of children from the endeavors relates to an integrated
multi-level evaluation with the consent of the parents of the child with
certain needs, which is conducted by the psycho-pedagogical support service.
The integrated evaluation is implemented on the basis of the application of educational
institution and the results of the initial assessment carried out by the
multi-disciplinary in-school commission. Therefore, the psycho-pedagogical
support service develops a report containing a summary of each type of
evaluation with the formulation of conclusions and relevant recommendations, as
well as the final conclusions concerning the establishment of educational needs,
interventions and support services to ensure educational inclusion. The results
of the integrated evaluation are made available to the educational institution
in which the child is registered. The figure 5 shows that these results form
the basis for developing actions for the educational inclusion of the child,
the individualized educational plan and serve as recommendations for parents,
educators and support teachers, other professionals who provide support to the
child in the process of educational inclusion.
Figure
5.
A photo of the IEP development process
Annual Evaluation
Revision and updating of the IEP should be preceded by
a continuous process of evaluation of the child’s progress. The Figure 6 reveals
that the evaluation should be carried out each year, covering all areas of
child development, and determines the level of achievement of learning the
subjects. Annual evaluation allows the commission and parents to see the
results of the given services (Special Education in North Dakota, n.d.). The
results obtained are recorded in the IEP. The data accumulated as a result of
the evaluation will serve as an argument for a possible revision and plan update.
Figure
6.
A photo of evaluation process results
It is important to determine the causes, grounds,
factors that lead to certain results, established in the evaluation process.
Depending on them, some actions will be made in certain sections of the IEP.
For example, if the child does not achieve the goals set out in the
individualized plan for a particular subject, it is possible to change
pedagogical strategies, but not earlier than the collection of additional
information about the strengths and the needs of the child. If the goals are
too simple for the child, the degree of their complexity increases. The figure 7
shows that the IEP teams convene meetings, within which changes are made to
certain sections of the plan, depending on the results of the child’s
evaluation.
Figure 7. A photo
of annual review (Exceptional Service, Exceptional families, n.d.)
Conclusion
According to the manual, inclusive education is an
approach that provides for the equality of chances for all children to attend a
comprehensive school and study with their peers, regardless of their
intellectual or physical abilities, cultural, social, ethnic, racial or
religious affiliation. Inclusive education includes the development of the IEP,
expanding the mission of the educational institution, which consists in
adequately meeting the diverse educational needs of a significant number of
children. Evaluation of the child’s progress should be continuous. The results
of the evaluation are a source of information that serves as a basis for
changing some pedagogical strategies in determining the optimal parameters of
the child’s learning.
References
Autism
New Jersey. (2015). Are parents/guardians required to sign the IEP? Retrieved
from
https://www.autismnj.org/signing-the-iep
Autism Speaks.
(2017). Individualized education program (IEP): Summary, process and
practical tips. Retrieved from
Bourgeois, R. (2013). My life! Teaching in a
Korean university. Green Schools Network.
Retrieved
from http://www.greenschoolnetwork.org/tag/teaching/page/4
European
Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. (n.d.). The background of
“Empowering
teachers: Empowering learners”. Retrieved from http://www.inclusive-education-in-action.org/
Exceptional
Service, Exceptional families. (n.d.). The special education process.
Retrieved from
http://download.militaryonesource.mil/12038/EFMP/eLearning/SEP_508/SEP_508/slide30.html
Illinois
Schools. Assistive Technology. Support Website. (2015). Big ideas - What is an
IEP
team?
Retrieved from http://www.at4il.org/what-is-an-iep-team
Ohio Coalition
for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD). (2015). What is an
IEP? Retrieved from
https://www.ocecd.org/Downloads/What%20is%20an%20IEP%20Book%20Rev%2011%202015.pdf
Parent to Parent
of Georgia. (n.d.). Individualized
education program (IEP). Retrieved from
https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Documents/Parent%20Fact%20Sheets/IEP%2010-30-12.pdf
Special Education
in North Dakota. (n.d.). Guidelines: Individualized education program
planning process. Retrieved from https://www.nd.gov/dpi/uploads/60/IEP_Guide.pdf
Maryland
State Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention
Services. (2008).
A guide for parents of students with disabilities. Understanding the evaluation,
eligibility, and individualized education program (IEP) process in Maryland. Retrieved
from http://www.hcpss.org/f/special/understanding_iep.pdf
