|
Write a Portrait of Your Child: Preparing for the IEP
Meeting The following article is reprinted from the Winter
2002 edition of Special Edition.
It was written by Judy Bonnell, a parent advocate in New Mexico.
We have permission from both parties to reprint. To be an
effective advocate for your child you must learn how to be on an equal
footing in IEP meetings. You must be able to articulate your concerns
and thoughts, which means careful preparation. Such preparation, while
time consuming, will pay off handsomely. Preparation will give you a
head start on getting your concerns and recommendations documented and
considered by the other IEP team members. The written
record of the meeting is what counts if there is ever a dispute about
what was said or what happened during an IEP meeting. While the district
takes the official minutes, you as the parent are entitled to have your
input included in the record. The best way to ensure your concerns and
recommendations are in the record is to take them to the meeting in
writing. You can then ask to read them out loud and request they be
included with the minutes as part of your parent input to the meeting.
The following strategies can assist you in accomplishing this task. Both the
U.S. Department of Education and a State Department of Education have
told me of a new way to write a present level of performance that
describes the whole child, his strengths, weaknesses, and needs. Rather
than one PLOP here and one there, this new approach can offer a total
picture of the whole child. Parents can adopt this technique, thus
helping the team see their child in a new way. Through
experimentation, trial and error, I refined this idea and developed the
"Portrait" as a way for parents to present crucial information
to the IEP in a concise, thoughtful manner. Only we "write"
the portrait, rather than "paint" the portrait. By writing a
“portrait”, you can see that no strengths, weaknesses, or needs, as
you know them, are overlooked by the team. While the team will write the
official present levels of performance, such
input from a parent is very powerful. IDEA recognizes that
parents have unique knowledge of their child, knowledge that is crucial
to successful planning of placement and services. It has been
gratifying to have positive feedback from administrators on parents
using this approach to present parent input for an IEP meeting. They
have expressed their appreciation to parents for presenting such a
concise, informative document that spells out their concerns and unique
insight on their child. Writing "A
Portrait" Writing
what amounts to a portrait of your child is a powerful tool for parents
to use. Such a document can help keep the team directed towards your
child's strengths, weaknesses, and educational needs. It is important to
get your child front and center quickly at an IEP meeting. By reading
your “Portrait” at the very beginning of the meeting you will
immediately see the focus shift to its appropriate place, the needs of
your child. Benefits for both parents
and the district Such parent
documentation can help keep districts in compliance with the law, since
all information, including parent input, is to be carefully considered.
Since parents are equal participants, a written record of parent input
can clarify issues and concerns, and reduce the level of confusion
sometimes present at a meeting. Parents can request that this document
becomes part of their official parent input to the meeting by making
that request in writing at the end of their “Portrait". Districts
have been very cooperative in this effort to see that parent input is
treated as equal in importance to district minutes. As a parent, I know how very difficult it can be to tie down your parental concerns to specifics. But as you go
through this exercise you may find your vision of your child and his or
her needs come into sharper focus. You may be surprised at how much you
learn about your child as you create your portrait. You will be better
prepared at the meeting to ask those all important questions regarding
how your child's needs will be met. Your knowledge of his or her
strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, fears, and dreams is unique and
very necessary to the total picture of the child. Step One: Document all of
your child’s needs in writing Since the
team is required to address all of the child’s needs, it is
necessary to assemble all of the pertinent information you have,
including the last multi disciplinary evaluation, any medical or
therapist’s evaluations, information from good articles or books that
pertain to your child’s disability and possible needs, and your own
invaluable knowledge of the needs. As you thumb through all this
information, pick out all the needs you think are pertinent at this
time. Write down each one as you find it. Since this is detailed work,
it is best to do this exercise before you write your portrait. Think of
it as assembling the essential materials before you start painting. If
you try to skip this step, you may get bogged down in the details and
“not see the forest for the trees” when it is time to complete the
portrait. Step Two: Paint the
background Think of
the background of your portrait as would an artist. You want to show the
overall colors that will set the scene for the details. For your
portrait, you will write a description of your child, his personality
and nature, how the disability impacts education and/or social skills,
and describe any fears or frustrations. Weave into the background just a
few education specifics at this time. You will
likely find it very difficult to accomplish the next step, which is to
cut it down to no more than one third of a page! The shorter you make it
the greater the impact will be on the team. They are more likely to pay
attention. Now you will have to slash and burn, but it will be with
purpose. You must choose only the most important facts. Step Three: Insert your list
of needs This is
your opportunity to see that the team considers each and every need
documented in all your reports, evaluations, research, and personal
observations. This is where you go into great detail. Do not worry about
the length of the list. Do not worry about whether everyone will pay
attention throughout your reading of this portion. The important thing
is to get it into the written record of the meeting for consideration.
Number each need. By numbering each need, each team member, including
you, can track which needs have been addressed and which ones have not
been addressed. You have a quick reference tool, in writing. Parents
often find reading articles and books on the relevant disability or
disabilities helpful when assembling this list of needs. Such a book or
article can put into words what we as parents often know but have
difficulty putting into words. After all, we are not professionals. As
you read, pick out those things that make you think “That’s
Johnny!” and “Yep, that is him!” or “It is like they wrote the
book about Johnny!” Of course not everything will apply, as no two
children are alike. Parents must be very careful to select only those
characteristics that really describe their child. This exercise can help
add the appropriate details onto your portrait canvas. Step Four: Summing it up It is
important to end the portrait on a positive note. This is a great place
to write a brief description of your child’s dreams for the future,
what he or she wants to become, whether the child wants to go to
college, live independently, etc. Include your dream for your child as
well. Again, keep
this paragraph very brief if you want to keep the team’s attention.
Often parents want to include a statement that they want to see their
child become a successful adult with a career and able to live
independently. Points
to remember
·
Be sure to take
enough copies for everyone on the team to have their own copy. Judy
Bonnell Website: www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/1580/ For the complete article, become a member and receive our newsletter.
This page designed by Opal Harris.
|
This page meets Bobby's guidelines to be ADA compliant.