EAAT and IEPs Opening the gate to collaboration

1. EAAT and IEPsOpening the gate to collaboration Andrea L. Suk

2. Agenda • Trend Discussion • IDEA Law • Connecting with Schools • IEP Teams • Annual Goals • Assessments

3. Outcomes

4. Roles • Sometimes a rider / participant • Sometimes a student • Sometimes a brother / sister • ALWAYS an individual

5. Past and present

6. The future

7. trends

8. Terms

9. IDEA Legislation • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires: • IEPs be written for students with disabilities to specifically describe – • Services • Classes • Accommodations • Strengths and needs • Goals for the year • Goals for the future (16+ years) • IEPs require statement of interagency collaboration • IEPs identify needed connections to community agencies

10. IDEA Legislation • When will it be re-authorized again? • Not sure • Special Education Advocates Viewpoints • Funding

11. Recognizing Opportunities to become collaborative team members

12. Iep teams

13. Attending Iep meetings

14. example • John is in the 5th grade and uses limited words to communicate • John’s teacher shares that he enjoys playing with water and says water often in class. She also notes that he will sometimes say names of other students in class. • John’s speech and language pathologist notes that he will not use any words while working with her. • John’s parents worry that if he is not prompted and reinforced to use words, he will stop talking all together. • John’s riding instructor suggests John fill water containers for horses, while being prompted to say horse names.

15. Identifying how to utilize school information to support an eaat participant

16. Iep annual goals • All students with an identified disability will have annual goals • Developed in collaboration with all members on IEP team • Monitored throughout school year (3 months) • Can be academic focused • Can be behavior focused • Can be related service focused (speech, occupational, or physical therapy) • Can be emotionally or socially focused • Can be transition focused

17. Why would I want to access annual goals

18. How to access annual goals

19. Writing annual goals

20. Example of annual goals • Within 36 instructional weeks, Sally will participate in cleaning equipment used in biology class for labs, under the direction of her teacher. Sally will wash and put away all materials that she directly used with 100% accuracy. • This goal was written since Sally has stated she does not clean up in the kitchen after herself in the home environment but would like to live with roommates in the future.

21. Examples of annual goals

22. Linkages

23. Linkages

24. Linkages

25. Providing updates • Include annual schools goals in participant folders and participant goals • After each lesson, comment on any activities or progress related to annual school goals • Some families have notebooks that go back and forth with schools daily. Make a few notes in the book about progress. Provide your contact information to the teacher. • Keep notes on progress in participant files. Copy monthly and send to families and teachers. • Many participants have their own smartphones. Prior to them leaving, ask them to write an email to their teacher about their progress on goals. • Volunteer to go to school meetings. • Create a teacher night and invite school personnel to the center to observe participants. • Send short videos to families and teachers, specifically highlighting progress towards goals (with photo consent).

26. Are school goals a good fit?

27. Practice

28. Practice suggestions

29. Progress communication • Include annual schools goals in participant folders and participant goals • After each lesson, comment on any activities or progress related to annual school goals • Some families have notebooks that go back and forth with schools daily. Make a few notes in the book about progress. Provide your contact information to the teacher. • Keep notes on progress in participant files. Copy monthly and send to families and teachers. • Many participants have their own smartphones. Prior to them leaving, ask them to write an email to their teacher about their progress on goals. • Volunteer to go to school meetings. • Create a teacher night and invite school personnel to the center to observe participants. • Send short videos to families and teachers, specifically highlighting progress towards goals (with photo consent).

30. Identify how to share eaat information to support an individual

31. assessments

32. Your viewpoint • Through assessments, instructors, coaches, and volunteers may: • See strengths of the participant that are not seen at school • See struggles of the participant in a community environment (not seen at school) • Identify a participant’s interests that they do not communicate at school

33. Employability and life skills assessment https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/INSTRC/Webinars/Employability_skills_checklist.pdf

34. Example • 3 = Usually • 2 = Sometimes • 1 = Seldom • 0 = Never

35. practice

36. Life skills inventory http://transitionresponse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Life-Skills-Assessment-Div.-Of-Children.pdf

37. example

38. practice

39. Personal preference indicators https://www.ou.edu/content/dam/Education/documents/personal-preference-indicator.pdf

40. example

41. practice

42. Results of assessments • Consider completing an assessment once a year on all EAAT participants. • Give to parents • Send to schools • Share during conference night

43. Money • If we collaborate with a school, is there another funding line for us?

44. Conferences

45. Additional Conferences

46. Upcoming

47. questions

48. Contact information Andrea Suk Andrea.suk@ou.edu (405) 325-8951