Inclusion-IEP accommodations?

Question

Hello, We are getting ready to go to full inclusion at our high school. I need to redo a lot of our IEP's for next year. COuld you please list all of your accommodations on here so I can figure out how to make this successful? I am looking for how you have adapted to make it work. I am somewhat skeptical, but I am going to have to try it. I guess I feel like an aide, but I do want the kids to have success.

Please help.

Answer 1

You need to check with your state guidelines for IEP's, each state is different. We have had inclusion for several years and have very clear guidelines/forms to follow. What are the state standards to meet the needs of the students?

Answer 2

YOU alone cannot make a choice or re-write an IEP.  The entire IEP team, including the student if aged 14 or older, the parents and the teachers, etc.  have to be present to write an effective and reflective IEP for the student.  The older students and the parents know what work best for the child.

Answer 3

This is tough as it may vary by child.  Aides are good, but can make social adjustment tough.  Plus not every child will qualify..start with kids who had aides prior and go from there.  The next issue will be if the students are on the diploma or special ed certificate track.  Kids on the diploma track must do the work required and while certain adaptations can be in place, they still must meet the goals in the time frames established by the district.  In those cases, things like preferential seating, teachers required to provide copied of all notes to the student, copies of text books to keep at home, alternate forms of testing where allowed, providing a list of all assignments in advance and increased testing time can all be considered.  For kids on the special ed track, you may need to look at things like completely adapted lesson plans, ALT standardized testing, modified goals.  Both groups can often benefit from tech assitance..using laptops rather than writing, specialized seat pads, frequent breaks, etc.  You will have to look at what the current IEP's have and work from there.  A lot of it will be trial and error, so be prepared to adjust and rewrite as you go.

Answer 4

If extra aides are assigned to your included student - use those aides for your class not as a student's personal aide. Sometimes use the aide to help the class - or a group of students including the included student.

Openly discuss the accommodations included students need as what they need for equal access to the curriculum - not as special treatment.

Discuss language choices people use and don't expect high school students to know how to be sensitive without modeling.

Add disability to your curriculum when appropriate. People with disabilities have a history and culture. We can be role models to kids without disabilities related to careers.  

When inclusion doesn't work - it is because you haven't found the way yet- not because inclusion doesn't work.

Answer 5

you can't change the IEP's on your own... you need the parents/guardians there. ALso, some of the kids' IEPs may already state what kind of environment they should be taught in. So, in many cases, you will need an IEP addendum just for that. If you are looking just for general special ed. modifications, or go to your state's education website and pull from there...

Answer 6

I use modified grading, modified assignments, teacher/peer notes, extended time (test), separate setting (test), read aloud (test, nonreading), preferential seating.. Don't feel like you will be an aide. I thought that as well, but I do just as much, if not more teaching in all my classes than the reg. ed teacher does!! It is A LOT of work though!

Answer 7

I think the best people  to answer the accomodation questions would be the parents. Ask them what they need. Maybe you could give them a pre-IEP call to let them think about it. Personally I prefer full inclusion to mainstreaming because it offers the kids a safe , positive and more nurturing environment than they usually receive in the mainstreamed classroom. The kids can interact with each other and the teacher in the same way, so the accomodations should be the same.

Answer 8

What exactly is your position? Teacher, parent ???

I don't know what you mean by the high school is going to go full inclusion. Who told you this?

By law called IDEA, which is FEDERAL special ed law, ALL children are to be in the setting that is RIGHT for them, hence the  *I*  in IEP.

Whether it be inclusion, mainstream, whatever.

Schools are famous for a one size fits all with sped kids, and this is ILLEGAL.

First of all, it is the WHOLE IEP team who has to decide the accomodations and everything else a child needs. Just ONE person does NOT do this.

The parent is included in the whole IEP team so the team has to meet together to determine the accoms, mods, services, etc for EACH CHILD SEPERATELY.

If a sped child can succeed in an inclusion class, then this is what the child is suppose to have. If NOT, then the child can NOT have this.

Answer 9

Well, as so many people mentioned (and got thumbs down for, which surprises me), the entire team (all teachers, parents as well as person able to make policy and financial choices) must be present to make changes to IEPs, it is against federal law and every state's procedures for just the teacher to make changes. I would suggest that you talk to your principal and/or special ed director about this, because if you have been asked to handle this alone, you are setting yourself up for due process. Not pretty.

I am a parent, but also an advocate who has worked in several districts in our state, so I have some experience with full inclusion. Both of my kids had full inclusion in school. It is a bit more work, and as a teacher one must rely on regular ed teachers, therapists and paraprofessionals to carry out alot of the work. It has worked amazingly well in our local schools, not only the special kids receive, but the typical kids also receive so much knowledge and compassion.

I wanted to address this

quote Kids on the diploma track must do the work required and while certain adaptations can be in place, they still must meet the goals in the time frames established by the district. unquote

This is not exactly true. I know of twelve teens in our local high school who will receive reged diploma's, and they have modified work schedules, and on their own time frames. That may be the policy in that particular school, but it's not quite appropriate under IDEA. Her suggestions for adaptations are EXCELLENT though, and I'd second that for all the kids.

My daughter with severe autism had a lot of supports

She had a desk that was set off from other kids, she had an assistant, she had a visual schedule to check off. She had unlimited pass to the bathroom and drinking fountain, as well as the choice to take her work during busy times to the library so that it wasn't so hard for her to focus. Her aide helped her walk from class to class, and helped her get her lunch. My son with aspergers did not have an aide, but he did have a resource teacher who came into his room twice a week to help sort out his desk (I guess in high school that's be a locker) She helped him organize his work, his agenda, and his homework and helped him turn it in. He did not have to handwrite anything, but could type it out. If it was lost, he did not lose points, but had an extra week to rework it and turn it in. This is because disorganization and confusion were a manifestation of his disability and he cannot legally be punished for this.

So the accommodations for each of your students must reflect their specific disabilities and their specific needs. Whatever trouble they may have in regular classrooms must be addressed and support. I wish you the best in this, honestly I do. I know it is hard work and that teachers are OFTEN placed in the middle between families and the bureaucracy.