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Special Education Eligibility and the Individual Education Program
Special Education Eligibility and the Individual Education Program
Informed by the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 (IDEA) and the Virginia Department of Education Division of Special Education and Student Services, therapy practitioners are related service personnel who provide evaluation and intervention services to students, caregivers, and school teams that are curriculum based and outcome oriented. Therapy services emphasize students’ access to and participation in the general curriculum and are based upon research supported strategies. The Virginia Department of Education Parent's Guide to Special Education provides a succinct summary of special education service delivery in the commonwealth.
Supporting the Educational Evaluation and Planning Process (Under Construction)
Special Education Eligibility Process (Under Construction)
Supporting the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process (Under Construction)
The Transition Planning Process (Under Construction)
The US Department of Education has relaxed some of the provisions under IDEA but eligibility and IEP teams remain accountable to the special education timelines. School divisions are developing plans for instruction and service delivery.
Evaluation
Evaluation
The purpose of evaluation in educational settings is to gather relevant information to determine a student's eligibility for special education services and for making decisions regarding student strengths and needs. Occupational and physical therapists participate in the evaluation process with informed parental consent and in accordance with the Evaluation and Eligibility For Special Education and Related Services: Guidance Document. The resources below may be of benefit as you plan the evaluation process of your students.
Virtual Evaluation During the COVID - 19 National and State Emergency
The Evaluation Process (Under Construction)
Parents Role in the Evaluation
Assessment Tools (Under Construction)
Service Delivery
Service Delivery
The role of related service providers is to ensure students can access instruction and participate in their educational programs. According to AOTA, "Occupational therapy practitioners provide a continuum of service and support to students and personnel under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the reauthorization of ESEA, most recently enacted as The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973". This continuum of support can include:
Supports within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS/ Response to Intervention) in general education (e.g., supporting curricular development and instructional methodology, staff/teacher/parent training, modeling of instruction.activities, collaboration and problem solving).
Individual services to students receiving special education as directed in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in order to access to curriculum and ensure participation.
Supports to students eligible for 504 services (e.g., collaborative and consultative services the natural setting and routine of the school day when the student is having difficulty).
Additional resources include:
AOTA: What is the Role of the School-Based Occupational Therapy Practitioner?
AOTA: What is the Role of the School-Based Occupational Therapy Practitioner? Q&A for Parents
Despite the current COVID-19 crisis, related service providers continue to collaborate with teachers to design accessible instructional activities and adapt existing curricular activities for home learning.
Considerations for service delivery include:
Collaborate with teachers and other service providers to ensure accessible instruction, provide materials and strategies, and determine the need for additional consultation for the families. Assist teachers in developing ways in which students can demonstrate their understanding (e.g., making short videos, submitting hand or voice typed responses in google drive, math games).
Help teachers identify learning tools/strategies that can be used during virtual instruction (e.g., movement breaks, breathing exercises at the beginning of a lesson, hand/finger warm ups before a writing). Work with teachers to adapt regulation strategies to the virtual learning environment (e.g., Zones of Regulation).
Identify the primary contact with the family (teacher) and the platform that will be best suited to the family and is approved by the district (e.g., Canvas, Google Drive, Google Meet, Zoom). Be sure to review the Virginia Telemedicine Guidance Document regarding required informed parental permission.
Coordinate student access to needed resources with the educational team resources (e.g., AAC devices, visual supports, word prediction software, positioning devices). Consider possible changes to accommodations to meet their needs in the home learning or digital learning environment.
Click here for additional resource service delivery resources.
Mental Health
Mental Health
AOTA: Occupational Therapy and School Mental Health
The Mindfulness for Children and Parents may be a helpful resource.
Institute of Child Psychology Facebook page offers helpful resources to help families and professionals to work together to promote positive mental health.
Distance Learning
Distance Learning
The provision of health related services using telecommunication systems has been growing in popularity and has given rise to an industry known as telehealth. CommunOT, AOTA's social connection platform, has an array of resources available addressing occupational therapy in telehealth. Distance learning has paralleled the development of telehealth and the provision of instruction and education via multi-communication media has rapidly grown. The following reflective questions and resources may be helpful in evaluating if e-learning may be an appropriate methodology for your service provision.
Questions to consider:
What tools and resources do teachers and teams need to support education at home (Curriculum and task modification, access considerations)?
What are the student's goals and objectives and how can they best be met in the home learning environment?
What are the learning objectives for the e-learning experience? Who will be involved, what will their roles be and how will it be implemented?
What technology will be the most appropriate (accessibility, safety, security)?
What barriers may impact the distance learning experience (language, cultural, home routines and expectations, home environment [light, sounds], access to materials)?
How will accommodations be met in the e-learning context?
Data Collection and Documentation
Data Collection and Documentation
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