This is a rubbish IEP, isn't it?

[Borka]

DS is 5, has ASD & is in mainstream Reception on SA+. He gets minimal support, the school don't seem to recognise his sensory issues at all, and he's recently had 4 days where he was too anxious to go to school because of finding the playground too noisy at breaktimes. He's very anxious about school generally, reluctant to go most days, and comes home for lunch every day.

I've been hassling for an IEP since September, specifically said I wanted a meeting to discuss it, and now finally I've just been handed a copy of it by DS's class teacher - I haven't been involved in the process at all.

The targets are:

1. I can leave my mum at the door and begin coming in with the rest of my class mates, putting my things away independently.

1. I can begin going outside for playtime at morning and afternoon play.

1. I can use the pictures and prompting to help me talk about how I feel with Miss Teacher and Mrs TA. I can begin to express when I feel anxious or worried, with support from an adult.

I can see that the 3rd target is quite sensible, but the other 2 have incensed me. They won't help his learning in any way, it seems to just be about making him do what the other children are doing, and all it is likely to achieve is make him even more anxious. Also, there are things he does need help with like social interaction & writing which haven't been addressed at all.

Also the school calls it a Personal Education Plan rather than an IEP, but surely they can't say it doesn't have to follow the guidelines for and IEP just because they've called it something different, can they?

Sorry, that got a bit long & ranty.

No, the plan doesn't say anything about what they're going to do, the 3 points I've written are the whole thing. The SENCO has obviously never heard of SMART targets.

I agree that they're expecting way too much of him, backward chaining sounds like a really good way of making it more manageable.

Well, if he is having problems in those areas - missing school because he's scared to go in the playground then it does make sense that they address those.

Does he have a statement?

No 1 is directed at you and there is far too much in it.

But it could say something like this: Target: DS will say good goodbye to parent/carer and enter classroom. Strategy: DS will come to school 5 minutes after everyone has to give the classroom a chance to settle down on the carpet. He will be handed directly to a member of staff who will have and that member of staff will put his things away. When he is sat on the carpet he will be allowed to quietly hold his toy as a reward. Next target: He gets access to toy after sitting on carpet for 30 seconds without it......

Borka,

And you've been chasing them since September for that?!.

That IEP is really crud I am sorry to say and is truly not worth the paper its written on.

SA plus and minimal support on it sounds about par for the course as well. I would have to say that I do not think his needs are anywhere near being met in this school and with an IEP (its truly an Individual Empty Promise as IEPs are alternately named) like that they will not be met either.

I would strongly suggest you now apply for a Statement from your LEA asap. That will gee them up a bit.

As you are fast learning, you are his best - and only - advocate here.

www.ipsea.org.uk is a good website and will be helpful to you. Keep posting in this section too!.

I see polter and the way star breaks it down makes much more sense.

The trouble is, as always, people thinking a description of the issue, somehow magically resolves it (or at the very least, gets parents off the backs of school staff.)

Pathetic.

Thank you all.

Star, that's so useful to see it broken down like that.

Wips, I don't agree that there's any point forcing him to go in the playground, it won't benefit him educationally. He finds it difficult / terrifying because of his sensory sensitivities & I can't see any benefit in making him feel like this more often than he already does. At the moment he can choose whether to go in the playground or not, and sometimes he does choose to. The target is all about taking away that choice.

Attila, I'm moving towards applying for a Statement (as encouraged by you on one of my other threads!) & am hoping that when DS's OT referral comes through we might get some help there.

Moondog, yes, exactly that.

I also think that there's more than a bit of 'Well, you wanted an IEP, now here's one you won't like' about the whole thing. Home Ed is looking very appealing.

Well, I've been lurking on MNSN for years, so I've benefited from lots of collective goose wisdom!