All About IEPs

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)- An IEP is designed by the IEP team for each Special Education Student. It is completely tailored to the particular student with input from the Special Education Teacher, General Education Teacher, Administrator, and any related services personnel.

IEP Team- This is the team of people who work together to create your child's IEP. This includes the parent, Special Education Teacher, Classroom Teacher, Administrator, and any related services. (Of course any advocates are welcome and can be invited by the parent).

504 Plan- This is similar to an IEP; however, a 504 does not offer Special Education services. A student with a 504 may receive accommodations, counseling, etc.

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)- This is an avenue to address any behavior problems a student may be displaying. An FBA uses a series of techniques to identify the causes for the specific behavior and helps inform the IEP team on appropriate interventions to eliminate that specific behavior. At PRES, that is usually done by our School Psychologist and other district personnel.

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)- A BIP is a plan that is created as a result of the FBA. The team creates a plan to specifically address problem behaviors: any reward/consequence systems, interventions, ways to decrease antecedents and any supplementary aids that would help teachers to prevent and eliminate the behavior.

Behavior Support Plan (BSP)- This is usually a behavior plan that is created before an FBA/BIP to reduce the problem behavior.

Lease Restrictive Environment (LRE)- As much as appropriate, the students with disabilities are to be educated with children who are not disabled.

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)- This legislature mandates that school districts provide access to general education and special education services. This also requires that students with disabilities receive services at no fee to the parent as is provided to non-disabled students.

ACCOMMODATIONS v MODIFICATIONS

These terms are often confused. Accommodations are strategies implemented in the general education classroom that support the student to complete grade level curriculum. These can include things like: preferential seating, testing in a small group setting, directions repeated/rephrased, having a sensory buffet, etc.

Modifications are ways the teachers change curriculum to be at that student's non-grade level. If a student is having work modified they are not receiving grade level curriculum.