My IEP meeting is coming up soon and I am making a list of questions to which I should as during the meeting. Anyone have any specific questions they feel is needed to ask during the IEP meeting. This can assist parents greatly.
When it comes to an IEP it is generally based off of what skills your child has and what they need help with. If the child has physical issues like lack of core strength you want PT, if it is motor skills you want OT. If the child is speech delayed or nonverbal you want speech, and if they have behaviors you want ABA. Most ASD children need a combination of all of them but you want to concentrate on what is needed most. The IEP is not only for academics so if there are social and sensory issues you want to address those.
With young children communication is huge so if the child feels their needs are not being met or that they can't communicate they are going to act out so communication through actual speech, PECS and sign language is very important. Sensory wirks the same way so if the child has sensory overload they are going to act out. Sensory can be touch, smell, sight, and sound but it can also be taste which is something a lot of people don't realize. Eating can be a huge problem because of this so that may have to be addressed as well.
You know your child and you know what they need so specific questions may not be the way to go, you just want to make sure all aspects of what I just said are discussed and you should be ok.
Remember you do not have to sign an IEP so if you don't agree with it don't sign it. You can also take it home and really read through it without signing, so make sure you go over it first before agreeing with it. I always suggest written letters from all the doctors and specialist describing all the needs your child has, and also an outside evaluation from a third parts is also helpful.
If I missed something maybe someone else can let you know what is also important I may have forgotten.
Every childs need is different. So i would ask what i can do to continue the plan that is being developed for school, at home.
Ask them about visual cues too, which not only help them plan their day and transition, but also remember things longer than an intangible concept or direction.
I had an IEP meeting yesterday. My ecperience is that the school always wants to integrate what im doing at home into school. A far a potty training and time out. Every chikds need are different. As my 16 yo is able to urine in the toilet but wont have a bm in in. I reccommend that they only assist him but let him do it. As far as behavior, i asked about curriculum, computers, ipads, worksheets, things of this nature that will keep him occupied so that he wont be disruptive. I asked them about letting him go outside to burn off of excess energy or to the gym, supervised of course because children of this magnitude get irritated with just being in a constant state. Also to make sure that its routine because theyre also irritated with too much change.