Special Education

An IEP is a written plan that outlines the special education programs, services, or additional supports that a student needs. It’s designed to help monitor progress, assess learning, and adjust as a child’s strengths and needs evolve.

A student may require an IEP if they’ve been identified as an exceptional pupil by the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC), or if they need special education services to succeed in their learning environment. An IEP may also be required if a child has been provided with equipment that supports accommodations that are directly required and essential to access the Ontario Curriculum or board determined alternative program.

An IEP is an individualized working document that concludes relevant and descriptive assessment data that highlights a student’s strengths, needs, goals, and essential strategies to support students in reducing learning gaps and making progress towards their individual learning goals. It may include accommodations, modifications, or alternative expectations to ensure that each child’s learning needs are met in order to help them reach their full potential. The intention of the IEP is to document and tell a story of current special education services and programming that is in place for the student based on data.

When a child has ongoing difficulties, the school may decide to hold an in-school team meeting. This meeting brings together teachers, support staff, and sometimes special education experts to discuss strategies and interventions for the child. These may include:

• Implementing classroom strategies and monitoring progress.
• Providing additional in-class or withdrawal support from a special education resource teacher.
• Involving special education school board staff for further assessment and support.

If, after these interventions, progress is still not as expected, and in consultation with the family, the school may determine that an IEP is the best next step to support the child’s learning goals.

Accommodations are adjustments that support a student’s learning without changing the curriculum expectations. There are three types:

1. Instructional accommodations – adjustments to teaching methods.
2. Environmental accommodations –changes or supports in the physical environment of the classroom or school, like seating arrangements, a quiet setting, or assistive devices.
3. Assessment accommodations – changes to testing methods, timing, or formats to help the student demonstrate their learning.

While accommodations support learning without changing expectations, modifications actually alter the grade-level curriculum. This can include:

• Adjusting the number of grade-level expectations.
• Changing the complexity of grade-level tasks.
• Reducing or altering the grade level at which a student is working based on appropriate data that is collected.

However, it’s important to discuss the impact of modifications on a student’s future education and career goals.

Alternative expectations focus on skills that aren’t covered in the Ontario Curriculum, such as:

• Functional literacy and numeracy
• Social and communication skills
• Independent living skills
• Community safety and navigation skills
• Occupational and physiotherapy skills
• Transition planning for life after school

These goals help students build essential life skills tailored to their individual needs.

Every IEP contains:

• Assessment data
• Strengths and needs of the student
• Accommodations – strategies and supports tailored to the student’s learning needs based on assessment data
• Specific and measurable learning expectations for students with modifications
• A description of special education programs and services the student will receive
• Methods for reviewing and assessing progress
• Transition plan

IEPs are reviewed and updated at least once during every reporting period to ensure they remain effective. Parents and guardians play a crucial role in this process, so it’s important to share your thoughts and ideas with the school team.

A school might decide to discontinue your child’s IEP if evaluations show that your child has met the goals set in the plan and can now succeed in the regular classroom without extra help. This is a celebration and means your child no longer needs the specialized services that the IEP provided.

Even without an IEP, schools are required to support all students’ individual needs. Teachers can use different teaching methods, tools, and strategies to help your child learn effectively. This might include offering lessons in various formats (like visual or hands-on activities), providing choices in assignments, or allowing different ways for your child to show what they’ve learned. These approaches aim to make learning accessible and engaging for every student.

It’s important to keep in touch with your child’s teachers and monitor their progress. If your child faces new challenges, discuss them with the school. The school can reassess your child’s needs and consider reintroducing an IEP or other support services to ensure they continue to succeed.

UDL is a teaching approach that plans lessons to meet the diverse needs of all students. By using UDL, teachers create flexible learning environments that can accommodate different learning styles and abilities, helping your child learn in ways that work best for them. UDL gives all students an equal opportunity to succeed. This approach to teaching and learning offers flexibility in the ways students access material and show what they know. UDL also looks for different ways to keep students motivated.