Anyone have experience with IEP’s?

My son with CIDP has an IEP. It focuses on reducing work load by eliminating unnecessary tasks like title pages, coloring, etc), scribing to limit hand fatigue, oral testing, modification of PE including elimination of some parts of curriculum, assistance with clothing and location changes, etc. We are in Canada, so I am sure that the format is different.

I have some experience with IEP, but my daughter was deaf. So I can’t help much there.

As a teacher I would suggest that some the use of computer and Dragon Natural Speaking might be helpful for middle and high school students. Most teachers will allow students to type reports etc. However CIDP can make typing very challenging. Dragon Natural Speaking makes typing a lot easier. Most public school should be able to come up with a laptop, but the software my be a problem. You might find someone who as upgraded to the latest version and be able to use the older version.

My daughter has been included in the special needs group at her high school. As an A and B student she was not very happy about this until she understood more about it. LOL.

Her needs are more in regards to making up for absences and difficulty getting from class to class if she is has a recurrence of numbness. Her teachers post assignments and worksheets on the school intranet site for her to complete at home. She is able to get a key for the elevator if she needs it rather than using the stairs and her PE teacher is very understanding about her levels of fatigue.

Whatever happens with your individual plan the most important thing to remember is to use a collaborative process. Everyone from the student and their family to the teacher and the school cousellor has an important role to play. They are each experts in their field!

My son, Adam, is 16 and very bright–his teacher’s have always described him as a “wiz”. Adam’s CIDP began in April of 8th grade. That year he was allowed to come in and take the required state tests and go on to high school, even though he was not well enough to attend regular classes.

Before school started in 9th grade, I met with the school nurse and the principal to discuss Adam’s limitations & come up with an IEP. I explained that he would have to miss a lot of school, and that at times he would require extra time just getting to class. I took the information that had been sent to me from this foundation in an attempt to “educate” his educators. Adam was hospitalized twice from August-December for treatments, and he also had to travel out of state for his appointments with the neurologist. Needless to say, he racked up quite a few absences!

The principal then decided that Adam should move to the Alternative School in the next town, because they would be better able to work around his absences. (this is the school where they send kids with behavior issues who cannot function in regular schools)

After a semester at this school–the principal decided Adam should do “home-bound” schooling for the remainder of the year. (Adam was frequently sick–he seems to catch everything coming and going and it takes him a long time to recover.) This basically involved the teachers giving him some chapters to read and then come in to take the state tests. He passed with flying colors and was promoted to 10th grade.

He tried going to school at the beginning of 10th grade but soon had to go back to the “home-bound” fiasco. The teachers would give him assignments with absolutely zero instruction. I asked if they could simply send him some class notes-which they said they did not have time to do. I asked if he could email them with questions, but this was also too much for them. They never had his assignments ready when I went to pick them up, and one time his entire semester’s work was “lost” by the school counselor and they actually wanted him to re-do it all.

When Adam turned 16 in May, he dropped out of school because of all this. He is now attending GED classes and will have his GED by the time school starts this fall. He is planning to get a 2-year degree in Business at our local community college-which offers on-line classes and is very open to working around his health issues. He will be able to graduate from college at the same time that his peers graduate from High School.

I was very interested to read your thread. My daughter is 5 and will start kindergarten in the fall. She was diagnosised when she was 4 with GBS, and although we were given a great prognosis, she never regained use of her left leg and her right leg is at about 60%. She may regain more strength in her right leg, but there is little hope that her left leg will regain much.
She walks with forearm crutches, and is VERY indepedent. She is an amazing child, never complains, and we have also learned to accept this, and really have learned to live life again. Our main problem is that our home school (which my son attends) is an antique built in 1916 and is tri-story. I have been to seminars regarding IEP’s to prepare myself, however, the seminars are always geared towards kids with cognitive needs, and rarely give any information for kids with physical disabilities. I would highly encourage you to take up this cause.
Mary

I believe the purpose of an IEP should not change because some one has CIDP. I believe you should create an IEP for this child the same as you would for any other child. I have worked in the disability sector in Canada, and we always focused on creating a plan that works for the child. It should always focus on the strengths of the individual and adapt the learning process to meet the individual needs of the student. It may mean building in physical adaptations, learning adaptations, but should be based on a functional assessment that is specific to the individual.

I often use a quote from an actor who is affected by Down Syndrome, Chris Burke. He says “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” I always like to ask the people I support what they want and need, not just in the moment but also for the future, but in this situation, I don’t know how old the individual is that you are referrring to so it may mean asking caregivers/parents about what the individual requires to be successful in the educational capacity. Then we use that goal/dream to build a plan.

I hope this helps bit.