Special Education - IEP

There are important points of Individual Education Program (IEP) that one can derive from the video. Firstly, there is collaboration and inclusion among all the team members. In the video, the parent, a general education teacher, a special education staff member, and the student with special needs are all present. The presence of all the team members in this meeting makes it easy to discuss all issues that pertain to the student. The student with special needs familiarizes himself with the new experience. The team also outlines the roles and responsibilities of all the team members, and ensures that they all comprehend the task they have to the needy student. The collaboration is a very critical part of any IEP class. The rationale is that all members of the team get to understand one another, and brainstorm on how well to handle the needs of the students. The inclusion and collaboration is a part where the team did a good job.

Another pointer to indicate that the team is doing a god job is by getting the views of the needy student on specific issues that will help him in learning. Both teachers are greatly concerned with the feelings of the student on some policies they would wish to implement. They involve the student on occasions to seek whether he is comfortable with the implementation of the same or if he would prefer to alter them. The inclusion of the student in policy development is a good thing for the team. It serves as a lucid signal that all parties are working as a team. It also serves as a message that imposing is not a good tactic to handle matters that relate to education. In addition, it gives the needy student a forum to air his views about the modes and tactics of teaching.

There are, however, areas that the team could improve to ensure that they achieve the ultimate goal of IEP. In the video, the parent does not talk enough about the issues affecting the student when home. In an instant, the teacher interrupts the parent to get views from the student. The parent in most cases has the most time with the child. She, therefore, understands the specific areas where the child suffers or needs special attention. It will serve as an improvement if the parent has more time to talk about the needs of the child. Enough time is appropriate to enable the teachers get a glimpse of what they will seek to improve and correct. In addition, involving the parent more makes the student relax as he or she feels that someone who understands him or her best is in the panel. The meeting can achieve better results if the parent has much more time.

Another suggestion that would improve the IEP meeting would be a formal start where the principal and the special teacher will outline the strengths of the student. Outlining the strengths of the student assists in starting the meeting on a positive note and increases its effectiveness. When the meeting starts on a positive note, the transition becomes easy. In the video, the next grade teacher seems not to know how to handle the student. He does not understand the strengths of the student. The strengths will assist in ascertaining what tactics to use to ensure that he understands like the rest of the class. The meeting can improve if it starts with the principal and the special teacher briefing the class teacher on the strengths of the student. A positive start helps in determining the criterion to set and achieve goals.