What is your learned position on IEP recommendations? Too many? Too few? What is your sense of how parents, students, educators and clinicians see this issue.

 

Thank you,

 

Joseph

I'm not sure what you mean by "recommendations."  Goals?  Accommodations?  Referrals?  Findings of eligibility?  Please clarify and I will try to answer your question!

With a special ed evaluation, schools are (supposed) to access in all areas of suspected disability.  This results in an evaluation report that shows present levels in these areas.  If a student is sufficiently behind, they need to have specially designed instruction (SDI) that is evidence/research based to bring them up to the level of typical classmates.  This is provided that that nature of the disability will not prevent them from doing this.

IMO, every deficit area needs to be addressed either with SDI or the student needs to be accommodated.  I can see where there are not enough hours in a day to provide SDI in all areas but the ones without SDI should be accommodated.  And sometimes you do need both.  A student in 5th grade who reads at a 3rd grade level needs SDI to improve reading skills.  They also need accommodations like audio books and instructions read to them so they have access to 5th grade textbooks in science, social studies, etc.

An area might not be addressed if it's not part of the state standards.  For example if your 2nd grader cannot read an analog clock & this skill is part of the 3rd grade standards, the 2nd grade IEP isn't going to have SDI so this gets taught.

Does this answer your question?