IEP

IEP expands for Individualised Education Programs. Essentially, these are documents/plans/programs created for children with disabilities. Most often, it is used in preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools for younger students. This plan focuses on providing the child with a special, educational, and individualised plan based on his/her wants and needs.

In order to develop the program, a team-based approach is used with the parents' input taken into account. The teacher/therapist involves by understanding the child’s current level of skills, evaluates the various domains whereas parents provide valuable information regarding what skills they want to focus on, the new areas to be introduced, etc and a creative academic goal plan for the child is developed. It can be considered a unique plan designed and focused mainly around what suits the child's interest and how one can organise and specialise on achieving personal goals.

Why is an IEP important?

• It is an appropriate educational accommodation for special children
• Documents child’s current level and progress level
• Measurable annual goals
• Breaks down skills into a step by step process
• Accommodative and inclusive way of education
• Personal attention and focus
• Focuses on various domains and skill sets
• Easy way to organise and document the progress of a child

To conclude, we can see how IEP’s benefits not only the child, but the teachers and parents by allowing them to view and track the progress of the child. All of this information can be useful in bringing about changes, understanding what works best for the child and a sense of achievement. IEP’s ability to give personal attention accelerates and motivates the child to be involved in the path of learning!