Learn more about special education
Special education is offered to help those with specific needs reach the highest level of academic excellence possible. Services vary widely and are specific to each student’s individual needs based on their IEP.
Special Education laws vary by state. Please check with your local school regarding your eligibility for programs.
What’s an IEP?
An assessment team creates an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for students with special needs. The assessment team includes the student’s parents and individuals who know the student. After an initial evaluation, a plan is written and followed by the school. The plan may address, among other things: instructional needs, independent functioning, social-emotional functioning, and communication.
What happens at an IEP meeting?
It’s important to know that the IEP assessment team has one goal – to provide a great academic environment for students with special needs. It is a collaborative process where the team comes together to discuss the strengths and needs of the student and to identify an instructional plan to support the student for the next 12 months.
The plan includes a description of the student’s performance across certain areas as well as accommodations, goals, and services to support the student in achieving success.
Accommodations may include supplementary supports to help level the playing field for students in the classroom environment. Some examples of accommodations could include sitting a child in the front of the room to help with vision, for example. There are many different types of accommodations developed based on the needs of the students.