Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Julia's IEP: The Details

This is divided up in to many different sections, so, to make it easier to read through, I will put the headings in bold.

Parent Concerns

Our immediate concerns for Julia lie in her gross motor, speech and language, and sensory processes. Specifically, our concerns relate to Julia's overall muscle tone and balance, intelligibility and comprehension when speaking in a conversation, her social skills and with her sensory motor and planning skills.

Student Strengths and Evaluation Results Summary

Julia is a delightful girl referred for an initial evaluation by her parents and Early Intervention to determine eligibility for special education services prior to her third birthday. Evaluations were completed in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language.

Results of the speech and language testing revealed age expected expressive language abilities and delayed speech sound development and listening skills development. Julia had difficulty following directions and answering questions and was difficult to understand sometimes in conversation. Direct speech and language therapy was recommended.

Julia's PT evaluation revealed that Julia has low muscle tone, decreased proximal stability, generalized muscle weakness, gravitational/postural insecurity and joint laxity which impact her ability to acquire her gross motor, locomotor and balance skills. Physical Therapy services were recommend.

Occupational Therapy testing indicates that Julia presents with low postural/proximal stability and tone. She exhibits weaknesses in the areas of visual and fine motor development and sensory motor developments. Sensory weaknesses are noted in the areas related to modulation related to movement and visual input, sensory processing related to low tone and endurance , oral sensory processing, and registration. Occupational Therapy services were recommended.

Vision Statement

Our immediate vision is for Julia to improve her overall tone and balance, intelligibility and comprehension, social interactions with her peers, and her sensory motor and planning. We would like to see Julia in a classroom setting so that she may interact with other children and receive the recommended services put forth at her meeting. Looking to the future, it is our hope that with continued therapies Julia will eventually be at the expected level in all areas of concern as that of her peers.

Present Levels of Education Performance

Considerations:

Communication, Physical and Occupational Therapy

How doe the disability affect progress in the indicated areas?

Factors associated with motor and language deficits hinder Julia in effectively addressing curricular material. Julia' delays in articulation and listening skill development impact her ability to communicate effectively with others. Weakness in areas of visual and fine motor development as well as sensory and gross motor development interfere with Julia's ability to engage in age appropriate fine and gross motor activities.

What type of accommodations, if any are necessary to make effective progress?

Encourage prone positions.
Encourage weight bearing positions such as high kneeling.
Encourage stair climbing.
Work on vertical surfaces (black board, easel etc).
Lay prone to attend to activity.
Encourage movement activities and position change.

Current Performance Levels/Measurable Annual Goals

Specific Goal Focus: Physical Therapy

Measurable Goal:

Julia will demonstrate improved postural strength, proximal stability and strength, and endurance and sitting balance to enhance the acquisition of her gross motor, locomotor, and balance skills.

Benchmarks/Objectives: What will the student need to do to complete these goals?

- Julia will demonstrate the ability to come to standing using a half kneel progression 100% of the time.
-Julia will demonstrate the ability to propel a scooter board in sitting and prone positions 50 feet with good strength and stability.
-Julia will demonstrate the ability to maintain a prone position for 5 minutes while engaged in upper extremity activities with good proximal strength and unilateral weight bearing.
-Julia will demonstrate improved overall strength and endurance as she participates is sensory motor, balance and strengthening activities.
-Julia will ascend and descend the stairs using a reciprocal pattern independently.
-Julia will jump with a mature pattern 6 times.
-Julia will walk a balance beam forwards using a natural pattern independently without stepping off 5 times.
-Julia will hop on her dominant leg 5 times.
-Julia will demonstrate a mature gait pattern as she accesses the school environment with improved strength, endurance and mobility.

Specific Goal Focus: Occupational Therapy

Measurable Goal: Julia will improve sensory processing, sensory motor development, and fine motor development as measured by the following benchmarks.

Benchmarks/Objectives

-Julia will build a three cube bridge and three cube steps with one inch blocks 4 out of 5 times.
-Julia will color within the boundaries of a three inch design while maintaining and appropriate grasp pattern 2 out of 3 times.
-Julia will string 3/8 inch beads independently 3 out of 4 times.
-Julia will copy a horizontal line, diagonal line, cross, and square 2 out of 3 times.
-Julia will trace her first name 3 out of 4 times.

Specific Goal Focus: Communication

Measurable Goal: Julia will demonstrate improvements in articulation and listening skill development by attainment of the benchmarks stated below.

Benchmarks/Objectives

-Julia will point to named pictures in a book with 80% accuracy.
-Julia will point to pictures depicting simple descriptive concepts (big, wet, little etc) with 80 % accuracy.
-Julia will answer "wh" questions when reading a book, given one repeat as needed, with 80% accuracy.


Service Delivery:

PT/OT (combined): 2 times per week for 45 minutes each time.
Speech/Language: 2 times per week for 30 minutes each time.

So, it's pretty thorough, huh? I am pleased with it and am so glad that it's in place!


Tuesday, July 17, 2007

IEP Question

How long is an IEP good for? What I mean is that I am aware that it is reviewed annually to make sure that goals are being met and that every three years, the child is re-evaluated but my question is if the annual review shows that all previous goals have been met, do we just set new ones each year until the evaluation or once the goals have been met is the IEP null and void? I was just curious because with Julia's IEP it would seem to me that if she met all the goals that we have set, then she would be good and caught up with the crowd and that there wouldn't be any more goal setting needed. If this is the case, would she still be re-evaluated in three years or not?

Does anyone know how exactly this works?

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Budget Cuts: The Results

The School Committee, having little to no other options voted a couple of weeks ago to completely eliminate the Junior High and Freshmen Sports Programs, as well as establish a $175 per sport (I think) user fee for all other remaining sports programs.

That is just one of the many cuts that will be in place come September.

It's a sad state of affairs, to say the least.