IEP Discussion Board

Sarah Jones and Maeve McGannon

Scenario:
The 1st week back from break, a new student arrives in the classroom for students
with high intensity needs at your public separate school. The child is lying on a
mat, smiling, making eye contact and engaging with the environment, although not
talking. Further observation reveals the student cannot sit independently, scoots
around the room and has trouble with utensils at mealtime.

Identify one area of need this student has that would be addressed in the IEP:
We would need to understand the student’s mode of communication. In the
scenario it is mentioned that he engages in the environment but does not talk. We
would want to know if this is typical for him or if he has a way to communicate his
wants/needs.

List the steps/process to adequately determine if Assistive Technology should be

used to assist in meeting the identified need (you are not completing an assessment
or recommending anything, you are only listing the step and applying the
identified need to that step. For example, when listing the step regarding the team,
also list the team members that may be needed given the area of need you
identified):

1. Functional Communication Assessment should be used to determine the

child's primary mode(s) of communication and if AT could be a beneficial
option for him.

2. If AT is determined as an adequate option, then identify the team for

assessing this student for AT
a. Special Education Teacher
b. General Education Teacher (if there is one)
c. Speech-Language Pathologist
d. Instructional Technology Specialist
e. Occupational Therapist
f. Physical Therapist
g. Parent/Guardian and student (if he is old enough)

3. Functional assessment in the student’s varying academic environments (i.e.

classroom, lunchroom, playground, extracurricular activity locations, and/or
home).
 a. Done over time and involves conducting trials with possible AT
devices in typical settings.

4. Recommendations from functional AT assessments are made based on data

about the student, environment, and observed tasks.

5. AT should then be selected, adapted, customized, and purchased or leased.

6. Once the AT device is purchased, members of his team will coordinate to

design a plan of implementation and ensure there is consistency with the use
of the device across settings.

7. Training and technical assistance for the AT device and services will need to
be provided for the student and for any professionals or others who will
work with the student. This is important for the maintenance and
implementation of the device.

Give 2 examples of how this need may be documented in the IEP (remember there
may be several places you can document this need):

● Special Instructional Factors

○ This section of the IEP includes provisions for special factors a
student needs in a classroom in order to succeed. The use of AT is
considered a special instructional factor.

○ On the Special Instructional Factors page of the IEP, there will be a

question that reads “Does the child need assistive technology devices
and/or services?” The IEP team will indicate yes or no. An answer of
yes indicates the student will legally be guaranteed use of an AT
device that the team has all consented to and agreed upon.

● Description(s) of Specially Designed Services

○ This section of the IEP includes any specially designed services,
instruction, accomodations, or AT that are necessary for a student to
access and achieve his set goals and objectives.

○ Under the Description(s) of Specially Designed Services section of

the IEP, there will be a table that lists the “Types of Services” in one
column and the “Goals Addressed” in another column. AT, related
services, accomodations, and/or specially designed instruction and
support may be included in the “Types of Services” column, and the
matching goal(s) will be listed in the “Goals Addressed Column.”