DH is fuming and I need information about the IEP that we have just been given for my DS who is in Yr 2

[chattysue]

At school pick up time my DS told me that I needed to see the teacher, my DS stayed with my DH and I approached the teacher. Then in front of everyone the teacher handed me a completed IEP for my son, she signed it and told me they would review it termly.
The teacher had mentionned that she wanted to do an IEP for my son at parents evening back in October.
My DH is fuming that we have had no involvement in the IEP and feels that it is not necessary for the reason that they have written.
Can anyone share with me how the process of an IEP works?
Thank you! CS

It isn't anything to be ashamed about but teacher was perhaps just in a rush and didn't think about handing it over in a more private manner. AN IEP should set out the nature of a child's difficulties, set targets for improvement and outline strategies to help meet the targets. The targets should be precise and measurable. You really should be involved in setting the targets and have an opportunity to comment before you sign. That said if you have already had that discussion perhaps that is why it was simply handed over. It might be worth asking for an appointment in the new year so your dh can ask questions. I think many people are a bit scared of IEP's as it is kind of acknowledging a problem. Many children have them and some only have them for a short time before they no longer need any extra support. Try to see it as a positive - the school recognising your ds needs some extra help. By the way I have two dc on IEP.

Don't be furious.

They told you they were going to do an IEP and then they've done one.

In Oct they probably discussed their concerns, that would count as discussing it with you.

I don't know why he has an IEP, or what's on it, or why DH thinks it's not necessary - but teachers don't do it for fun. The school has done it because they think your DS needs extra help, and this is the way they formalise the extra help they'd like to give him.

Extra help is a good thing.

I wouldn't worry about it being given to you "in front of everyone" - an IEP is just a plan to teach your child specific things which are different from the rest of the class. They do IEPs for children who are ahead as well as behind.

But they are supposed to discuss it with you, and you have to sign it too (hence the need for discussion, so you understand and agree with what you're signing).

Thank you cansu for your quick reply.
Is there anywhere I can get information about being involved in setting the targets for an IEP?

DH's issue is to do with what he feels is the lack of consultation about the IEP and I agree with him - I just don't know if we are supposed to included in the process and to what extent.

DH other issue is more to do with the content of the IEP as it says
'Learning targets - to continue to remember to sit near the teacher on the carpet or where I can hear clearly in the classroom.'
DH feels that this is just a paperwork exercise iyfwim

I don't want to do anything until I'm sure of my facts!

There is no law about the IEP. There's only 'best practice'

It's 'best practice' to review an IEP every term, and to review them with the parents. The review normally means school showing the parents what they've written and asking them to sign it.

You don't have to sign it. Nothing different will happen if you do or don't sign it. They don't need your permission to do anything that's written on an IEP.

Really this should all be about you talking to the school, not fighting with them, or arguing over some paperwork.

Your DS clearly has some issues in class. Not clear from your target what they are - is it his behaviour?

Denying he has problems is not going to help him. He may be the best little angel at home - the teacher is still having problems with him in the classroom.

Hi IndigoBell,
I'm trying to calm my DH down!! He isn't a big fan of the school because of a few issues with DS Yr 1 teacher.

DS is one of a few children who have recently been handed an IEP and DH is suspicious about all of this activity when these children have been in the school two years already.

My view is - whatever helps DS has to be a good thing! I agree with you that extra help is a good thing.

DH will no doubt calm down before too long!!

Thank you too Berthathebogburgler!

Really it's nothing to be suspicious about.

The teacher has probably had a review with the SENCO about the whole class and identified a number of students who would benefit - that's really normal.

2 of mine have had IEPs since Y1. They don't start with them the first day of reception :)

It is possible your DH is right, and your child doesn't have problems and the teacher is wrong - but it's more likely that your DS would benefit from extra help.

Anyway an IEP doesn't mean anything other than what you've got in your hand. If you object to anything written there, then talk to the teacher.

IndigoBell
DS has hearing problems and wears a hearing aid. His behaviour is good - never been a problem.

DH feels that this IEP really is just common sense.

If he has hearing problems, then he absolutely should have an IEP!

Yes, it can be just common sense. It just helps the school to have it written down and in a folder.

TBH it's shocking he hasn't had an IEP before if he has hearing problems.....

It is quite usual for children to be identified as needing an iep during yr2 based on what I have seen during time spent in school. Pupils with lots of needs may be picked up earlier but I would say yr2 is not unusual.

And trust me writing an iep is not just a paperwork excercise and certainly not done just for fun. There are also no quota's of children which are identified as needing an iep (i.e. they don't have to select the bottom 5% or whatever) it is entirely decided by the needs of individual children.

IndigoBell
I have just sat DH down to read your feedback. He was interested to read that the IEP is actioned with or without our signatures or involvement. DH also gave a big sigh - so showing signs of calming down!!

We have agreed to ask for an appointment in the New Year. DS Yr1 teacher is the SENCO who told us that DS did not need an IEP, confusing!!

Do you have any links to best practice and IEP's

Many thanks

An iep is about barriers to learning, identifying them and putting in place measures to overcome them.

Having a hearing aid does not automatically require him to have an iep unless it is affecting his educational progress - which is why he may not have had one to date. The measures on the iep sound reasonable based on what you have said. If he sits further away it is a barrier to learning because he can't hear or be heard effectively. Asking him to air closer is removing that barrier allowing him to make the educational progress he is capable of.

It may not have been written particularly eloquently but it may be in a language which he could understand.

I think sometimes it does take schools a while to actually identify which children should have an IEP. If your ds has hearing problems which require him to wear a hearing aid he would automatically be flagged up as someone to be monitored even though he may well be doing very well. I work in a school and all the hearing impaired children have an IEP regardless of their ability or how much support they need. It's a way of flagging them up to staff and means that they are perhaps more closely monitored. I can understand your dh feeling a bit anxious about it, but it really is the school doing what they have to and should do. If you don't have any concerns about how your ds is doing just sign and relax. If you are worried use this as an opportunity to have regular meetings with school. Ask for a review meeting and make suggestions for what you think he needs and start a dialogue. My dd and ds both have IEP's for their very complex needs and I sometimes make suggestions for their IEP's nd other times I just agree with the teacher's ideas. It is though a great tool for discussion with school staff and it may well help your ds later on if he does start to have more difficulties. Good luch with calming your dh!

Hi HauntedLittleLunatic,
thank you for your comments. Because of DS hearing we were suprised to be two years into school and now having an IEP.

Everyone's comments are reinforcing the need to meet and talk with his teacher.

Forgot to say that if you google the SEN Code of Practice there are probably some pointers in there to good practise. I did have a copy many moons ago that I ordered free from dept of education and skills.

If he has hearing problems he should be on the SEN register.

If he's on the SEN register he should have an IEP.

All it means is that the school is aware that he needs some kind of help to achieve to his full potential. Like your example of making sure he sits next to the teacher.

Imagine if he had a new teacher next term and she didn't know this. His education would suffer.

If you google your county you might be able to find a document which states it all a bit more clearly.

I move children on and interventions fairly frequently (we do 10 week interventions and then review how successful we think it has been whether we think the child needs to remain on the intervention or if we should continue with the current intervention or look at alternatives).
No one does paperwork for the sake of it they do it because it is necessary.
He wouldn't have an IEP unless his hearing problems were impacting upon his learning and sometimes it is just a change of teacher or environment or approaches that mean a child who was coping well needs a simple adaptation (like remembering to sit next to the teacher )to support their difficulties.

I had the same situation my ds was give a IEP without my notice and I was fuming until I come on here and was reassured that it's not a bad thing and now I am so happy he was put on it as he gets extra help and is thriving doing so well. He is in year hit all his targets and probably beyond so it was temporary.....dont worry. Extra help is good!

I can't understand why any parent would be upset about having an IEP for their child. It means that the school has identified some areas in which that child would benefit from an individualised approach. It means the school is thinking how best to support your ds. It means the information is there for any supply teachers, student teachers or whoever else may take a turn in the class so that they are aware of best practice when it comes to your ds. (For example, you would not want ds to be told off for not listening by a supply teacher when in fact he hadn't heard because the teacher was somehow expected to be aware of this information.)

It can also provide a record and measure if ds needs more support (or less) as he gets older. If the school has not identified actions they will take to help ds, how can they otherwise later identify what works or what further support is needed?

Can you imagine how you would feel if you had told the school about ds's hearing only for the information to be ignored, never recorded or never passed on to the next class teacher?

Indigobell - having a hearing aid doesn't automatically mean he is SEN (special needs yes but not necessarily special educational needs. There is a big difference but the former doesn't need an iep).

OP Has the education hearing adviser been involved? My DS has reduced hearing particularly on one side and he was always given positions to sit in in each class that meant he could best hear the teacher. The IEP was to ensure that both teacher and DS followed this advice - and as a result DS could engage properly with the lesson. He no longer has an IEP for this because he has learnt that he needs to sit with his better ear towards where the teaching is taking place - subject to any other noise distractions (like the fan on the whiteboard laptop) which might mean adjusting where he sits.

What had you expected to happen after the parents' evening discussion?

Cansu, your comments make a lot of sense to me.
I think the situation with the IEP was the final straw for DH who feels that DS school has no communication flow, although this is highly coloured by DS's Yr 1 teacher.
It's a very sensible view that you suggest - to use the IEP as a means of opening dialogue.
I don't know enough about IEP's so I'll use the holidays to do some homework!

A child with a hearing aid would only be on the SEN register if their hearing was impacting on their learning.

I stand corrected

I know nothing about hearing impairment - I naively assumed it would always impact on learning in some way.

Glad to hear that I'm wrong.