The IEP from A to Z

A truly comprehensive, teacher- and parent-friendly guide to creating clear and effective IEPs

With the skyrocketing diagnoses of ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and related conditions in U.S. schools, there is a growing need for information on creating effective IEPs for exceptional students. The IEP From A to Z is a step-by-step guide showing teachers and parents how to get the right education plan in place for students with ADHD, Autism/Asperger's, Emotional/Behavioral Disturbance, and related conditions.

• Provides easy-to-understand explanations of the special education process along with a wealth of sample effective IEPs
• Explains what is most important for educators and parents to keep in mind during IEP development
• Provides content area-specific sample goal and objective templates, general teaching tips for maintaining the IEP, and useful resources

From nationally recognized experts in the special education field, this book guides readers through the process of writing thoughtful, intelligent Individualized Education Plans that deliver high-quality, need-based educational programming to exceptional students.

Acknowledgments ix

The Authors xi

Authors’ Note xiii

Foreword xv

Introduction 1

Part One: Essential Elements of the Iep

1 Past Perspectives and Present Practices 7

2 The ‘‘Gold Standard’’ for Setting Goals and Measuring Progress 15

3 Setups for Successful Performance 23

4 Methodology: No Longer a Sacred Cow 31

5 Scaffolding Student Success 41

6 The Case for Generalization 53

7 Getting to the Heart of the Matter: How to Write Meaningful Goals and Objectives 59

8 Measuring Student Performance: More than a Simple ‘‘Numbers Game’’ 69

9 In the Shadow of No Child Left Behind 77

Part Two: Moving From Theory to Practice

10 Tools for Assessment and Decision Making 87

11 Comprehension: The Power That Fuels Expression 97

12 The Many Different Faces of Expression 111

13 All Things Social 131

14 Executive Function: The Pinnacle of Cognitive Development 149

15 Critical Thinking: An Essential Life Skill 165

Epilogue 179

Appendix A: Tips for Teaching Skill Development and Generalization 183

Appendix B: Helpful Teaching Resources 187

References 193

Index 197

Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is a communication disorders specialist and licensed speech-language pathologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders and related conditions. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Autism Spectrum Quarterly. Jennifer Twachtman-Bassett, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a communication disorders specialist and licensed speech-language pathologist specializing in working with students with autism, emotional/behavioral disturbance, and related communication and language impairments. This accessibly written guide shows educators and parents how to get the right education plan in place for students with ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, emotional/behavioral disturbance, nonverbal learning disorder, and language impairment. Step-by-step, the book addresses the crucial building blocks of effective IEP development: present levels of performance; underlying conditions; methodology; criteria for performance; prompt levels; generalization; goals/objectives; and evaluation/data collection. The book offers a truly comprehensive, educator- and parent-friendly guide to creating clear, measurable, and meaningful IEPs, and:

• Provides up-to-date, user-friendly advice for writing goals and objectives consistent with current special education law

• Addresses often neglected areas of functioning such as social cognition, critical thinking, and executive function, as well as least restrictive environment, assessment, and accommodations

• Includes content-area specific sample goal and objective templates, teaching strategies, and useful resources

The authors guide readers through the process of creating thoughtful, intelligent IEPs that consistently deliver high-quality, need-based educational programming to exceptional students.

"Too often, IEPs contain meaningless goals that are useless to teachers and parents. In this book, the authors provide a framework for writing goals and short-term objectives that mesh with popular progress reporting schedules. This book should be required reading for every special educator and every parent of a child with special educational needs."
—from the Foreword by Peter W. D. Wright, Esq., Wrightslaw

"I get asked all the time about how to write IEP goals for this population. I finally have the resource I need."
—Peg Dawson, Ed.D., author, Smart But Scattered: The Revolutionary "Executive Skills" Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential

A previous version of this book, covering only autism spectrum disorders, was published as How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up?