By Meshell Baylor, MHS
"This IEP is designed to consider the needs of the whole child, and we value your input at every step."
As parents raising exceptional children, we've become routine in attending Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. It's where we receive a copy of the rights and services booklet featuring a survey questionnaire on how the school handled the meeting and your child's educational plan, which will go into a manila envelope. Once you have finalized the documents, you will get a copy of the IEP issued to you. These documents were given to them since your child was diagnosed. You receive a copy of the annual and triennial every three years, updated assessments, and the final IEP, which is the Individualized Transition Plan (ITP). The ITP is the last packet before they officially leave school and transition to the next phase of life. After your child has completed school and has transitioned to the next phase of life, what do you do with all those IEPs?
I recently spoke to mothers of exceptional children and asked them what they do with all those documents. Some decided to shred them and keep the last IEP which is the transition document, and some were confused. An IEP is like a birth certificate. It documents the first day the child was diagnosed, the intervention plan that the team, which consists of the parents, teachers, psychologist, speech pathologist, physical therapist, etc., to help facilitate the correct measures of how to treat the child's academic needs effectively. This document is basically like a road map that directs where the child's journey began in special education and the day the child's journey ends with the school district.
Whether many parents know it or not, the IEP is a United States legal document under IDEA (Individuals Disabilities Education Act). This law states that no child with any disability shall be denied the quality of Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). For the exceptional child, this document is like the holy grail, so if you as a parent are uncertain what to do with your old IEP, here are some tips:
File it away: Purchase a bin and keep all your child's old IEPs in it.
Put it on a thumb drive: If you have the time, you can upload these and save them on a thumb drive.
Use a desktop IEP folder: You can upload those documents, put them on your desktop, and create a folder on your computer labeled with your child's IEPs.
Shred by choice: If you feel like there is no need for the documents because your child has transitioned from high school to adulthood, and you have no need for the document, then that is your right to choose to shred your child's document by your own choice.
Based on your child's individualized needs, it would be wise to store your child's records in a binder and put them in a safe place. As your child evolves, you may need to look at old files if something comes up medically, mentally, or physically. It does not hurt to keep your documents put away sometimes, when a parent must assess their child with Social Security Administration (SSA) or In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), or respite care, the intake workers always say they need to contact the school, or previous organizations that have done an assessment or worked closely with the child. If your files are saved, it beats the delayed process of waiting for documents to be faxed, emailed, or scanned to the assessor. You can do it from the comfort of your own home and expedite the process for your exceptional child.
Every state in the United States offers an IEP or Section 504 Plan for a child with special needs, and these documents can travel alongside the child from state to state because they represent the child's right to a FAPE. As your child begins to progress and excel, these documents track their goals and present levels of performance and measure whether the goals accurately help the child enhance their learning, picking up mobility skills to thrive.
It is a fight for some parents to attain an IEP for their child's delicate academic needs. It would be wise to keep these important documents in a place where you can go back and review them in case your child decides to go to college and requires special services at their local college or university. The documents will be helpful if your child wants to pursue something in art that they learned during their academic journey in their IEP. The documents come in handy if there is a history of medical challenges or behavioral challenges that no one working with him was aware of but discovered in the child's IEP. The document is handy if you are applying for services from human service agencies that want a copy of their educational and medical history. An IEP is a roadmap of where the child began on their education journey, where they are headed, and how the journey ends. Keeping these important factors is a treasure and testament to who you are as an advocate, business professional, and parent for a child with exceptional needs.
Meshell Baylor, MHS, is a mother of four children—two of whom are on the autism spectrum. She serves her community as a social worker and advocate in the Los Angeles area. She has a bachelor’s degree in human services from Springfield College and a Master's Degree in Human and Social Services. Meshell continues volunteering and giving within her local area while serving the special needs community.
Website: https://meshellbaylor.wixsite.com/websiteInstagram: instagram.com/imalittlebigbCenter for Autism and Developmental Disabilities snnla.org/c-a-d-d/
ReferenceIndividuals Disabilities Education ACT https://sites.ed.gov/idea/states/
Comments