1. IEP
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION
PLAN
Presented by: Tara Simmons COTA/L

2. Frequently used terminology
 IEP- Individualized Education Plan
 MDT- Multiple Disciplinary Team
 IFSP- Individual Family Service Plan
 IDEA- Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act
 EI- Early Intervention

3. What is an IEP
 A written LEGAL document
 It describes special education services for a
child with special needs
 It details how the child is currently performing
 It acts as a way to measure goals and
progress
 It is valid for one year
 Each year a new meeting is held to discuss
issues and progresses

4. Each IEP is different for each
child
 Individual goals and related services
are described in detail
 Levels of service vary dependent on
need and ability to perform
 SDI’s are included to provide
accommodations for success in the
classroom

5. What are Related Services?
 Occupational Therapy
 Typically supports an educational goal set by the
teacher, but can be independent
 Can provide SDI intervention- provides
accommodations in the classroom (such as wiggle
cushions, extended time for test taking, modified
homework)
 Physical Therapy
 Speech Therapy
 Learning Support services
 Transportation services

6. Who writes the IEP?
 The IEP is put together by a Multi Disciplinary
team
 This can include:
 Parents and Caregivers
 The child’s primary Teacher
 The child’s learning support teacher
 Related Service providers (OT, ST, PT)
 Psychologist
 Guidance Counselor

7. How is the “Plan” made?
 Each professional
completes
evaluations in their
discipline area
 Typically, School
Psychologists
determine
“disability”
 This “label” follows
the child throughout
their school life- FYI-
this can change

8. Psychologist Evaluations
 These evaluations include things like:
 Cognitive ability
 I.Q. scores
 Comprehension
 Disability

9. Occupational Therapists
 Complete Occupational Therapy testing. This
can include (but is not limited to):
 The BOT 2
 The FAST (Functional Assessment Tool)
 The Quick Neurological Screening
 Sensory Profiles
 The BOLD writing assessment
 Observation

10. Physical Therapists
 Assess the ability for the child to function and
be successful in the classroom
 Provide adaptive equipment (such as walkers)
 Work on balance and safety

11. Speech Therapists
 Various Language Scales
 Observation
 The Clinical Evaluation of
Language Fundamentals

12. What is an MDT meeting?
Multi-Disciplinary Team
 An MDT meeting happens before
the Initial IEP.
 This includes all of the evaluations
from the “team”
 Parents, related service providers
(OT, PT, ST, Vision therapist, or any
other provider to the child) are
present
 Each discipline explains their
respective information

13. More about MDT meetings and
reports
 An initial evaluation requires a
meeting
 These are held thereafter every 3
years (Or if new data is needed)
and called a re-evaluation
 Following the initial meeting, an IEP
is held yearly without the need for
an MDT meeting (but it can be
requested by team members or the
parent)

14. IEP Meetings- What to expect
 A large group, the “team”, to all
discuss goals
 Typically ran by the Special
Education teacher, Learning
support teacher, Speech Therapist,
or Regular education teacher
 Many present in the room, including
parents and related service
providers

15. IEP Meetings- Things to
remember
 Especially in a new evaluation,
remember all the information is
NEW to the parent
 They may or may not be pleased
with the findings
 Be SENSITIVE to their
understandings
 Be PROFESSIONAL in your
explanation, but steer away from
too much “OT jargon”

16. Things to remember….
 Be prepared to answer questions
about progress
 Bring work samples and charts
 If you have to discuss negative
behaviors, do so while including a
positive attribute
 Example, “Jimmy often struggles
with attention, but when focused he
does well with…..”

17. What NOT to do
 Do NOT speak down to a parent or
over another professional
 Do NOT openly disagree with
placement or another professionals
findings in the meeting
 There is a time and place to discuss
disagreements, NOT in front of the
parent who may already be
overwhelmed

18. What NOT to do
 Do NOT assume a parent knows
what you are talking about
 Do NOT assume a parent does not
know what you are talking about
 Be patient and read the meeting as
to what is appropriate
 Example “A mother who has 2
children on the Autistic spectrum,
but does not know about sensory
issues”

19. What TO DO
 Introduce yourself professionally
and politely
 Shake the parents hand!
 It is appropriate to make small talk
prior to the meeting starting to ease
any tension- remember
appropriate!
 Slowly go through goals and
progress
 Give the parent and team the
opportunity to speak after each goal

20. What to DO
 Be compassionate about what you are saying
 Go over progress reports, goals, and work
samples PRIOR to the meeting
 Maintain eye contact with the parent
 YOU SHOULD KNOW the child’s general
capabilities WITHOUT reading off of a paper!
 Make appropriate suggestions of ways to help
at home, without sounding demanding!

21. Detailed parts of the IEP
 General information page. Contains
geographical information, birthdate, parents
name, dates of IEP, and expected graduation
date
 Signature page- IMPORTANT! In order to be
considered attending the meeting and
approving, you must sign the signature page!
All participants will sign

22.  **After an initial MDT meeting, the
parent has the right to review the
information prior to agreeing with the
reports.
 According to PA state law, the parent
then has 10 days to either agree or
disagree
 There is a page at the beginning of an
IEP that is a waiver- The parent can
choose to waive the 10 days and hold
the meeting immediately following
 They must SIGN and date to agree to
waive the 10 day period
Details continued……….

23. Medical Assistance Page
 Certain cases may qualify the
school district with reimbursement
for therapy services
 An electronic site allows for service
providers to enter information each
time they see a student
 Then, if approved, the state will
reimburse the school district for
services provided

24. Reimbursement Forms
 Must be signed by your
OTR!
 Be mindful of information
inputted, although time
consuming, do not give the
opportunity to get denied
for reimbursement
 Be clear and professional
 Example “Johnny doesn’t
write well” vs
 “Johnny’s fine motor skills
are inconsistent and
require additional sessions
to address legibility”

25. On the IEP….
 A parent must sign to give the school
permission to correspond with outside
agencies
 This does NOT effect their insurance
 They will NOT be billed for services
 This only allows/gives permission for the
school to share information
 Know your HIPPA rules!

26. Quick HIPAA information….
 HIPAA- Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act
 US law designed to protect privacy and medical
records
 There are in depth regulations (can be found at
www.hhs.gov)
 This law protects patients rights! Do NOT disclose
personal information to anyone other than the parent
and Multi-disciplinary team!
 Do NOT email, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc..
ANY personal information about a child without
permission from the parent. Even then, be mindful!!!!!

27. “Special Considerations”
 This section provides information about
special needs which must be addressed in the
meeting
 It asks questions such as: “Is the student
visually impaired? Is the student deaf or hard
of hearing? Does the student have a
communication need? Does the student need
assistive technology? Does the student have
limited English Proficiency? Does the student
exhibit behavior problems that effect learning?
(FBA)

28. Functional Behavior
Assessments
 Gathers data in regards to behavior to
determine when the behaviors are
happening and possible antecedents
 Puts together a Plan to follow positive
interventions that would reduce
behavior, identify substitute behaviors
in place of negative actions, acts as a
form of communication between
parents and teachers
 More information about FBA’s can be
found at:
www.behavioradvisor.com/FBA.html

29. Present levels of Academic Achievement
 This area contains assessments
and progress towards goals
 In the initial IEP, this section will
contain the majority of information
in regards to educational testing (for
example reading comprehension
and math scores)

30. Present levels of Functional
Performance
 This area is IMPORTANT to you!
 This is where you will add in
information about present levels
related to OT
 You will also find progress in other
related services
 In the initial IEP, this is where you
will place the summary of
evaluations. Following, you will
input information about updates that
will follow through each year

31. Parental Concerns
 This section relates to issues the
parent is seeing with the child and
wants the IEP team to address
 It can range from one sentence to
multiple paragraphs dependent on the
student and involvement of the parent
 The IEP is a LEGAL document, if a
parent displays concerns in YOUR
AREA you must discuss and address
them appropriately! (Later we will talk
about due process and court cases)

32. How the student’s disability affects
involvement
 Here you will find what is being
done to make the student
successful
 Areas such as strengths, function
and academic needs, and
development will be discussed

33. Transition Services
 This area addresses how the team can
improve academic and functional
achievement when they move from
school to postsecondary education
 Post-school goals- focuses on
postsecondary goals that address
education, training, employment,
independent living, etc. OT can be
involved in this process, it is extremely
important to know about these services
and be able to make recommendations
as needed to make the student
successful when transitioning out of
school

34. State and Local Assessments
 Each year students are required to
take mandated assessments
 Some students are given
accommodations for these tests
 This can include longer time for
questions, dictation, sensory
breaks, etc.
 Students CANNOT be pulled out of
these tests for treatment sessions
 Each school is different

35. Goals and Objectives
 Extremely important!!!!
 This is where you will input your goals for each
student
 They should contain a long term goal and several
short term goals
 Although your OTR will complete the evaluation,
YOU may be responsible for goal writing
 Each goal is tracked quarterly for progress
 We will discuss progress reporting in further detail in
a later section
 Goals are included in this area from ALL related
service providers and learning support
 They can include writing skills, attention, and
academic issues
 BE FAMILIAR with each students capabilities

36. Program Modifications and
Specially Designed Instruction
(SDIs)
 Very important component for OT skills
 Includes things such as extended time,
sensory input, sensory breaks, tactile paper
use
 Remember, suggestions in this area MUST be
followed through upon by the referring
discipline
 If you are suggesting an SDI, work with the
teacher to make sure it is followed through
upon!
 Again, the IEP is a LEGAL document!!!

37. Related Services
 This is YOU!!!! OT is a related service provider
 In this section, you will add in your level of service
(LOS)
 This ranges on student need. It can be weekly,
monthly, quarterly, yearly, etc.
 Sessions can be direct and one on one or even
groups
 This is where you can add in your “notes” about
any missing sessions (example “…will receive OT
sessions weekly with the exception of scheduled
breaks/holidays, student absences, etc.”)

38. Supports for School Personnel
 This is also an important part of OT services
 Students who do not qualify for direct treatment may receive
it on a “consultative basis”
 Consultative services means that YOU work with the teacher
and professionals for accommodations
 An example is an OT providing sensory intervention for better
focus or tactile paper for improved baseline seating
 Because the teacher is with the student everyday, Support
services are essential for success!
 It is OUR JOB to teach our teachers HOW and WHAT to do
to improve any issues
 Take your time speaking with teachers. They may or may not
be in the “loop” as to current research and accommodations.
Be patient and give as much information as you can!

39. Gifted Support Services- GIEP
 A GIEP is an IEP for a student who is gifted
 It outlines special goals and instruction for
students tested as gifted
 It provides a challenge to students in the
regular education curriculum
 Again, a GIEP is a LEGAL document!
 Although working with a student with a GIEP is
not common, it does happen. Be prepared to
help with skills

40. ESY- Extended School Year
 ESY is for students who need instruction over the summer months
 It was designed for those who will not retain information without
continued instruction
 It is NOT summer school for students failing a grade
 It is continued instruction for students who need it
 Related service providers (Yes OT!) continue to provide services
over the summer months
 Depending on who you work for, this may be a different COTA/OT
 Keep your notes documented for each student, so you can hand
over a soft chart/file/copies/student work to give to the person
covering OT
 Nothing is worse than working in an ESY setting WITHOUT
information about student performance!
 If a therapist is working blindly on goals, half of the time is spent
assessing rather than treating

41. Educational Placement
 Although different for all school districts, often
the specialized classrooms will be spread out
among the schools
 This means that a student may live on one
side of town but attend a different school
dependent on need
 There are various kinds of specialty
classrooms, and based on IQ testing,
academic testing, and need a student may be
bused to a preferred setting

42. Different kinds of classrooms
 LS- Life skills rooms- These classrooms are
for students with an IQ of 70 or lower (if
appropriate)
 They work on life skills but still contain an
academic component
 The pace is slower, and many of the students
are working 2 to 3 grade levels lower than their
age

43. Different kinds of classrooms
 AS- Autistic Support- These classrooms are specialized to
handle Autism and Autistic behaviors
 They may also provide VB (verbal behavior) instruction that is
specifically designed for each student with intensive
“mapping”
 They often have multiple sensory breaks and a sensory room
for students
 *** NOT all Autism students will be in an AS room! This is
dependent on need and ONLY if the student cannot be
successful in the regular education classroom
 The goal is to have a student in the regular education
classroom with SUPPORTS
 These specific rooms are for those who cannot function
appropriately in the regular education setting

44. Different kinds of classrooms
 ES- Emotional Support- These classrooms are
specifically for children classified with an
“emotional disturbance”
 These children can be aggressive and have
difficulty socially
 Special support is provided to teach them
academically, but also focus on social skills
lessons

45. Different kinds of classrooms
 MDS- Multiple Disability Support rooms- These
classrooms are for students who have
significant medical needs
 They are often in wheelchairs, may be tube
fed, non verbal, and extremely delayed
 The teachers in this room work on basic skills
(example- holding a cup)
 Disabilities and abilities vary (example- down
syndrome and paraplegic)

46. What if the school district cannot
provide an appropriate placement?
 Specialty schools are located throughout the
county
 Schools such as NHS, John Paul II, New
Story, provide specialized instruction and
environments for children who cannot succeed
in their school districts
 COTA’s can be employed by these schools!
 Also, COTA’s can work for a school district and
be asked to cover special cases at a specialty
school

47. Student success
 All of the previous rooms are designed to give
each student the opportunity to succeed where
it is appropriate
 As part of the IEP team, you are able to
discuss placement, however you MAY NOT
make suggestions to parents
 As COTAs, it is not our responsibility to
determine placement
 We can provide our professional input

48. Educational Placement
 The IEP will define where the student should
be appropriately placed
 The IEP goes into further detail as to the
amount of time spent in the classroom vs. the
amount of time spent within the regular
education setting
 INCLUSION means that the child will be in the
LRE (Least Restrictive Environment)
 It is very important that even kids who are very
low academically, still interact with “on level”
peers

49. More about LRE
 http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/plac
ement-lre/

50. IEPs vs. 504 Plans
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9TgDgHf
dlY

51. 504 Plans
 504 plans are used to make accommodations
for a child who may not need an IEP and does
not qualify for special education services
 504 plans aide in the opportunity to give the
student rights to education with appropriate
changes

52. Advocates, Due Process, Court
Cases
 Advocates- are sent to represent parents in cases
where they do not feel their children are being
appropriately treated or given the proper
accommodations
 Advocates are not OT’s! Although very familiar with
the law and many OT related goals, WE are the
professionals working with the children and it is our
job to recommend proper level of service and goals
 With that being said, parents are STILL and ALWAYS
in the number one position to assist in making
recommendations
 A COTA can push for a level of service, but the parent
should be involved and in agreeance

53. Due Process
 http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/pdf/Due
ProcessParentGuideJAN14.pdf

54. Progress reports
 Completed quarterly by OT and other related service
providers as well as learning support/academic skills
 **Not all OT students will need progress reporting
 It is completely acceptable to SUPPORT teachers goals, and
not have an independent OT goal
 In this scenario, a formal progress report is not required
 If an OT goal is independent, it must be tracked by YOU!
 It can be as simple as 2 sentences about progress, or
extensive
 It can be completed electronically or written and shared with
the parent at conferences
 Although not required, you are able to attend parent
conferences to discuss OT progress

55. Things to remember
 “School OT” and “Outpatient OT” are 2 different disciplines
 Goals can vary
 Qualifying for school related OT means that the student is
having difficulty participating and it is effecting their academic
needs
 It is GREAT to open the lines of communication between
yourself and an outpatient therapy service provider
 Working as a TEAM is not required, but will help carryover
services and goals
 This can mean a simple email throughout the school year
 DON’T FORGET to get required HIPPA release forms signed
by the parent to allow communication of personal information
between you and ANY other professional OUTSIDE of the
MDT. Also- be mindful of any information sent through emails.
Use initials and refrain from being very specific.

56. Things to remember
 Be PATIENT with parents. Most of the time, they have the best intentions and just
want what is best for their child
 Remain professional in meetings, but continue to utilize your “therapeutic use of self”
to be sensitive and likeable
 Put aside personal preferences and respect cultural differences (example- a family
may not want support)
 Be familiar with the student BEFORE the meeting. Read over old notes, look at work
samples, etc. If this is your first meeting with the family, read the evaluation report. It
is very stressful for the families and watching you read word for word about their
child leaves a sense of disconnect
 Be ready to encounter difficult parents and advocates. Some will challenge
everything you say. Remain confident in your profession!
 Bring up concerns with your team, not in front of the parent if it is not appropriate.
Remember, a parent DOES NOT want to hear negative things about their child!
 Arrive ON TIME to meetings (On time=5 to 10 minutes EARLY!)
 Make sure to open the floor for parental concerns throughout your explanations
 Provide email/phone contact to the parent to call/email if they have future questions

57. Do’s and Don’t of Meetings
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHCTGRw
1oKo&feature=em-share_video_user

58. References
 Center for Parent Information and Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/placement-lre/
 Health Information Privacy. (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html
 H. (2015). The Difference Between IEP and 504 Plan. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9TgDgHfdlY
 FBA: Functional behavior assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.behavioradvisor.com/FBA.html
 Forms. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.pattan.net/Search?st=global
 IDEA Special Education Due Process Complaints. (n.d.). Retrieved
from
http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/pdf/DueProcessParentGuideJ
AN14.pdf
 K. (2016). The Basic Do's and Dont's of IEP meetings - produced by
Julia Clark. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHCTGRw1oKo