Navigating Your Way to AIM in the IEP: Who Needs AIM and Where Does AIM Fit?

1. Navigating Your Way to AIM in the IEP: Who Needs AIM and Where Does AIM Fit? Joy Zabala and Diana Carl National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials at CAST

2. Major Discussion Questions for this Session • What are AIM? • Who needs AIM? • Brief overview of IEPs • Where might AIM be considered and documented in the IEP?

3. What Are AIM? AIM (accessible instructional materials) are materials that are designed or converted in a way that makes them usable across the widest range of student variability in any format (print, digital, graphical, audio, video). IDEA specifically focuses on accessible formats of print instructional materials. In relation to IDEA, the term AIM refers to print instructional materials that have been transformed into the specialized formats of braille, large print, audio, or digital text. 

4. What Is the Relationship to FAPE? “Timely access to appropriate and accessible instructional materials is an inherent component of [an LEA’s/SEA’s] obligation under [IDEA] to ensure: that FAPE is available for children with disabilities and that children with disabilities participate in the general education curriculum as specified in their IEPs.” Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), 71 Fed Reg. 46618

5. Who Needs AIM?

6. Who Needs AIM? • Students with disabilities that prevent them from using “typical” instructional materials, such as print or “locked” digital materials, effectively • Students with sensory, physical, or learning-related disabilities • Students without identified disabilities who cannot make effective use of “typical” instructional materials • Struggling readers; students lacking English proficiency, etc. • Students who simply prefer options for different tasks or for use in different environments.

7. Who Needs AIM? • If any student is unable to read traditional grade level print instructional materials • at a sufficient rate and with adequate comprehension to complete academic tasks with success, relative to same-age peers, • or cannot do this independently, or cannot do this across environments and tasks, • then the student may need AIM.

8. AIM-Related Responsibilities of Decision-Making Teams Establish need for instructional materials in specialized format(s) Select specialized format(s) needed by a student for educational participation and achievement Commence SEA- and/or LEA-defined steps to acquire needed format(s) in a timely manner Determine supports needed for effective use for educational participation and achievement.

9. The AIM Navigator A process facilitator to help educators, families, and students make decisions about AIM for an individual student Not a screening or evaluative tool!

11. Brief Overview of IEPs

12. What Is an IEP? • Represents the foundation of the child’s educational program and serves as a tool/roadmap to help teachers provide instruction

13. Cycle of Access, Involvement, and Progress in the General Education Curriculum (IDEA)

14. Connection to AIM

15. Where might AIM be considered and documented? • IEP Development and AIM

16. Parts of the IEP that Relate to AIM • Evaluation Results • Present Levels of Performance • Special Factors • Annual Goals • Special Education & Related Services, Supplementary Aids & Services, Program Modifications, and Supports • Statewide Assessment Participation • Postsecondary Goals and Transition Services

17. Evaluations and AIM • Requirements • Assess students in all areas of suspected disability. • Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies. • Obtain information to assist in developing the content of the IEP. • AIM Considerations • Is printed text a barrier for the student? • Does the student need AIM? • Does the student need AT to access specialized formats (braille, audio, digital and/or large print)?

18. Putting It Into Action • Example of summary of evaluation data that mentions AIM: • Data reviewed by the Team (achievement testing; reading inventories; classroom observations; feedback from teacher, parent, and student) indicate that Carl is able to understand grade-level content, but is unable to fully access this content through print-based materials. Data indicate that Carl needs the digital text format of printed materials for audio-supported reading. • Note to Team: Review AIM Navigator – Determination of Need and Selection of Formats

19. Present Levels and AIM • Requirements • Describe the student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. • Describe how the student’s disability affects his/her involvement and progress in the general curriculum. • AIM Considerations • Is the student able to access and derive meaning from print-based instructional materials?

20. Putting It Into Action • Example of a present levels statement that mentions AIM: • Carl is a 6th grade student who has a learning disability. He reads printed materials independently at the 4th grade level. He successfully reads digital text formats of grade level textbooks and printed materials used across the general curriculum. • Note to Team: Current use of AIM

21. Special Factors and AIM • Requirements • In developing, reviewing or revising IEP, must consider the need for: • Behavior supports • Language supports for LEP • Braille instruction • Communication (D/HH) • AT devices and/or services • AIM Considerations • Does the student need AT or braille instruction in relation to AIM? • Does the the student need AT to perceive and interact with specialized formats of printed materials (e.g., digital text, audio, digital braille)?

22. Putting It Into Action • Example of how special factors relate to AIM: • Carl requires assistive technology. He needs a tablet and/or other computer with text-to-speech and word predication capabilities to perceive and interact with the digital text specialized format of grade-level printed materials used across the general curriculum. • Note to Team: Review AIM Navigator – Selection and Supports for Use

23. Annual Goals and AIM • Requirements • State measurable • annual goals, including academic and functional goals. • Describe how the goals will meet the student’s disability-related needs in order to enable the student to be involved and progress in the general curriculum. • AIM Considerations • How can AIM help the student reach his/her IEP goals in order to be involved and progress in the general education curriculum?

24. Putting It Into Action • Example of IEP goal related to AIM aligned to the common core standards: • By May, 2015, when using the digital text format of social studies materials, Carl will identify examples of sequential, comparative and causal presentations of information in text with 80% accuracy.

25. Special Education & Related Services, Supplementary Aids & Services, Program Modifications, and Supports • Requirements • State the services, aids, modifications, and supports that will help the student: • advance toward annual goals; • be involved and progress in the general education curriculum; • be educated with students with and without disabilities. • AIM Considerations • How can AIM help the student be involved and progress in the general education curriculum? • What supports will help the student use AIM?

26. IEP Development and AIMSupports for Use of AIM • Technology • Training • Instructional strategies • Support services • Accommodations and/or modifications

27. Putting It Into Action • Example of how services and supports relate to AIM: • Carl requires a tablet computer and/or other device that provides simultaneous visual and auditory output to support perception of and interaction with the digital text format of printed materials. • Carl requires training in how to use the format and the technology for participation and achievement. • Teachers and parents require training to support Carl’s use of the materials and technology. • Carl will require earphones and preferential seating in a quiet area of the classroom when he is reading with text-to-speech. • Note to Team: Review AIM Navigator – Supports for Use

28. Statewide Assessment and AIM • Requirements • Include a statement of appropriate assessment accommodations. • If the Team determines that the student needs to take an alternate assessment, state why the student cannot take the regular assessment and why the particular alternate assessment is appropriate. • AIM Considerations • What assessment accommodations are needed for a student who uses AIM? • How do these accommodations relate to the AIM and AT that the student receives in the classroom?

29. Putting It Into Action • Example of how assessment relates to AIM: • When participating in assessments, Carl will receive the following accommodations: • Read aloud: Simultaneous visual and auditory access to text through the independent use of text-to-speech on all allowable parts of the assessment • Scribe: Text input through independent use of word prediction software on all allowable parts of the assessment

30. Transition Planning and AIM • Requirements • Include postsecondary goals and transition services in the IEP. • Develop a Summary of Performance (SOP) of the student’s academic achievement and functional performance, providing recommendations to help the student meet postsecondary goals. • AIM Considerations • How can we help the student develop self-determination skills in order to advocate for his/her own needs in relation to AIM? • How can we help the student plan for his/her need for AIM and related technology in the new environment?

31. Putting It Into Action • Example of how transition planning relates to AIM: • In Carl’s home state, transition planning begins at the age of 14; however, in his school district, building self- determination skills begins earlier. Future transition planning might include goals such as: • Carl will advocate on his own behalf determining when he needs to use a specific specialized format and what technology works best for him in different contexts. • Carl will build the skills needed to advocate for himself in post-secondary environments by leading discussions during IEP development.

32. Questions and Comments

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