Anyone with a child on an IEP?

[Butterfly1975]

Just discovered by chance that my ds is on an IEP and has been for a while. The teacher has never said anything to me about this or about him being on the SEN register, although I knew he was getting a bit of one to one with some of his work. I'm fine with him being on an IEP but just a bit annoyed that I didn't know about it!

I wondered how other schools do their IEP's. Were you informed by the teacher? Do you have regular reviews etc?

[IndigoBelle]

They are meant to tell you that he is on the SEN register, and you are meant to discuss them termly.

But many, many schools don't.

They will count your parent teacher meeting is an IEP review meeting - which it isn't.

However, do remember that 20 - 30% of the class are on the SEN register, so having a termly IEP review meeting for each child would be a lot of effort for the teacher.

If I were you I'd ask the teacher for a meeting to discuss his SEN and his IEP :)

[Butterfly1975]

Thanks - it's interesting to hear that many schools don't inform the parents. It doesn't seem very good practice to me but I guess I can see why they can't see each individual child because there are a lot of children in ds's year with additional needs. I have a meeting to discuss it with the class teacher so I'm sure we'll find out more then

[mimbleandlittlemy]

My ds is on an IEP (he is ASD) and has been throughout his whole school career, he's now in Y6. I was told what they were doing from the start and school were extremely proactive in getting referrals and helping to get his ASD diagnosis. I have a meeting with his class teacher and the SENCO at the end of every term, with the new IEP sent home at the beginning of the following term so that we all remember his targets. Since Y4 ds also attends each end-of-term meeting so he knows what is expected and can have input into what's happening and why, and so he also understands each term's targets and why they've been set. A couple of times he has asked for a particular target if he knows he is finding something difficult.

I think you should ask for a meeting with both the teacher and SENCO so you are fully briefed and then ask for a chance to have a regular review. Our school can't implement an IEP unless the parent has seen it and signed it.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Parents are not only supposed to be told that their child has an IEP, they are supposed to be involved in writing it.

Write to them, informing them that you have found out by accident that your child has one, as them to to explain their reasons and for the date of the IEP review meeting so you can make sure you can attend.

This is very sloppy practice of the school.

[Svrider]

Hi butterfly
I'm not sure if you know but there's a special needs children section on mn
Full to the rafters with help and information
May be worth having a quick lurk

[DeWe]

Ds has one for SALT. It basically states he gets 5-10 minutes of 1 -2-1 with a TA to help his pronunciation.

We have to sign it and send it back.

[LeeCoakley]

You don't have to have SEN to have an IEP. They can be used to just specify one or two areas that need some attention. But they should be drawn up by the school and agreed to and signed by the parent with a specific date for review.

[peppapigpants]

Many schools use provision maps for children at School Action, where there may be a group of children receiving the same support and working towards the same target. Parents should be made aware of these interventions, without the need for them to attend meetings and have a copy.

I'm a SENCo and also teach my own class, there are not enough days in the week for meetings about every child on the SEN register every term. Those on SA+ and with statements are my main focus as I'm co-ordinating several sources of support as well as working with parents.

[AlwaysHoldingOnToStarbug]

DS2 has an IEP as he has ASD and goes to a special school, so it's something I've been used to dealing with them for years.

So I was a bit surprised to go to DS5's parents evening and be presented with his IEP to sign! I knew he was doing an extra group to help with his speech and undertanding, but he didn't have an IEP for it in Reception, it just appeared in year 1! He now also does a group for motor skills, so I don't know if this should have been added to his IEP.

I didn't realise I was supposed to have a separate IEP meeting, even though I do at DS2's school. I am happy at the moment with how things are being dealt with by DS5's school so I guess it's not too much of a problem.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

'I'm a SENCo and also teach my own class, there are not enough days in the week for meetings about every child on the SEN register every term. Those on SA+ and with statements are my main focus as I'm co-ordinating several sources of support as well as working with parents.'

I disagree very strongly with this point. By refusing to meet with the parents of these children you are overlooking the important contribution (and sometimes the role of leader) of parents in the development of their children as well as insulting those parents.

The SENCOP states that parents should be involved in the setting of IEP targets. Arguably this does not have to be a meeting but denying parents this role is very poor practice. If you have a time management problem or you do not have the resources to do your job properly you should raise it with the HT, not deny children with SEN the provision (and part of this provision is the involvement with parents) that is needed for them to make as much progress as possible.

I always wrote DS' IEP in his last school btw, so outsourcing this is one way of managing your time.

[IndigoBelle]

Starlight - not every child on the SEN register has the same level of needs. Not every child needs an IEP review meeting.

The SENCO is not saying she is denying parents the right to these meeting. I'm sure if they asked for one she'd make time.

She's just saying she's not offering them. Not that a SENCO needs to be in an IEP review meeting. It can be done with just the class teacher. Again it all depends on why the child is on the SEN register and what level of extra support they need.

Some kids on the SEN register really have very mild additional needs. Or very common additional needs (like extra phonics or poor handwriting) which is well catered for in the normal day to day running of the school.

Some years I've felt parents evening wasn't long enough to discuss DSs support. Some years it was.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

But how can a parent ask for a meeting about an IEP they don't know exists, or even ask for one if they are not told it is their right to?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

In ours, sometimes the SENCO came and sometimes she didn't. By the end of the year I was writing them myself (ds had them half-termly) without a meeting as we'd established an efficient format and protocol. Shame we had to move ds as the staff were great, but the HT was an arse.

[Butterfly1975]

Thanks - this is all interesting to see what happens elsewhere. We asked the SENCO at school and ds is only on an IEP for one area of work. I just don't understand why we had a meeting only a few weeks ago in school and it wasn't even mentioned! Makes me think the teacher was worried about telling us about it for some reason...

[notnagging]

I have not received a copy of my dcs iep for 2 years. When I ask I'm treated as a pain. Seems to be the norm

[3b1g]

I definitely think you should be informed that your child has an IEP. At our school the child and the parent attend a termly meeting with the class teacher and Inclusion Manager to decide the targets together.

[lifeintheolddogyet]

I've had issues establishing IEP meetings about my DS2. He's on SA+, with a specialist teacher and SALT every day, for which he is withdrawn from class for half an hour, never mind the 3 different medical clinics he attends out of school. I definitely don't think it was too much for me to ask for a meeting with the SENCO to ask exactly what targets were being set for him! The last meeting I demanded DS's specialist teacher suggested setting a date for the next meeting and the SENCO just said 'well you all can but I won't be there.' She was outrageously rude.

It sounds like a breakdown in communication OP - I am learning fast how to be a PA to my DS2. I just tell everyone everything, by email, phone, in person... and am an absolute PITA. I try to get every proposed action in writing, and if they say they're going to do something, we establish by when and if it hasn't happened, I get on the phone.

You should have been told - even if it were just a phone call!