Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs) outline goals and support services for children with disabilities to help them achieve academic success. Children who struggle due to learning disabilities, cognitive challenges, or other issues may qualify for an IEP. An IEP describes customized educational support including assistive technologies that can range from low-tech tools to computer programs. The goal is to provide services in the least restrictive environment, though some students may need a special classroom. Inclusion has benefits for all students by improving learning and acceptance of differences.

1. Students with special needs:
Enhancing the educational experience
Presented by: Patricia Washpon
February 26, 2012

2. Individualized Educational Programs (IEP)
What is an IEP?
Children with delayed skills or other disabilities might be eligible for special
services that provide individualized education programs in public schools, free
of charge to families. The IEP describes the goals the evaluation team sets for
a child during the school year, as well as any special support needed to help
achieve them.

3. Individualized Educational Programs (IEP)
Who Needs an IEP?
 A child who has difficulty learning and functioning and has been identified as a
special needs student is the perfect candidate for an IEP.
 Kids struggling in school may qualify for support services, allowing them to be
taught in a special way, for reasons such as:
– Learning disabilities
– Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
– Emotional disorders
– Cognitive challenges
– Autism
– Hearing Impairment
– Visual Impairment
– Speech or Language Impairment
– Developmental delay

4. Academic and Learning Aids
• Many students with disabilities use assistive technology to enhance their participation
and achievement in their educational programs.
• There are a range of assistive technology solutions to address student needs in all
academic areas including reading, writing and spelling, math, study, and organizational
skills
• Many assistive technology devices are beneficial for students who have difficulty
completing their academic assignments.
• These devices can range from something as simple as a pencil grip that provides the
support needed to appropriately hold a pencil.
• Electronic and non-electronic aids such as adapted paper, calculators, word identification
aids, portable word processors, and computer-based software solutions are used by
students who have difficulty achieving in the educational curriculum.

5. Assistive Technology (AT)
• The Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 (Tech
Act) was designed to enhance the availability and quality of assistive technology (AT)
devices and services to all individuals and their families throughout the United States.
• The Tech Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) define an AT
device as any item, piece of equipment, or product system (whether acquired off the
shelf, modified, or customized) that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the
functional capabilities of a child with a disability. AT devices may be categorized as no
technology, low technology, or high technology.
• There are several areas of instruction in which AT can assist students. Six of these are:
– organization
– note taking
– writing
– academic productivity
– access to reference and general educational materials
– cognitive assistance

6. Assistive Technology (AT)
• "No-technology" or "no-tech" refers to any assistive device that is not electronic.
No-tech items range from a piece of foam glued onto the corners of book pages to
make turning easier to a study carrel to reduce distraction.
• "Low-technology" or "low-tech" devices are electronic but do not include highly
sophisticated computer components, such as an electronic voice-recording device.
• "High-technology" or "high-tech" devices utilize complex, multifunction
technology and usually include a computer and associated software.

7. AT for hearing impaired students
• Students who are hard of hearing or deaf often need assistive technology to access
information that is typically presented verbally and accessed through the auditory
modality.
• A variety of technology solutions are available that amplify speech and other
auditory signals or that provide an alternative to the auditory modality. These
include assistive listening devices that amplify sound and speech both in the
classroom and home environment, closed captioning devices, and real time
captioning.
Assistive Device
• Sound Field System - This is a wireless system of two parts: the teacher’s wireless
microphone and the speakers (usually four of these) that are placed strategically
inside the classroom. The microphone transmits the voice of the teacher to the
speakers, which amplify the sound. The sound field system, which is sometimes
called the phonic ear, is also useful for students who suffer from ADHD.

8. How Are Services Delivered?
• In most cases, the services and goals outlined in an IEP can be provided in a
standard school environment. This can be done in the regular classroom or in a
special resource room in the regular school.
• Because the goal of IDEA is to ensure that each child is educated in the least
restrictive environment possible, effort is made to help kids stay in a regular
classroom. However, when needs are best met in a special class, then students
might be placed in one.

9. Inclusion
Mainstreaming
Has been used to refer to the selective placement of special education students in
one or more "regular" education classes. Proponents of mainstreaming generally
assume that a student must "earn" his or her opportunity to be placed in regular
classes by demonstrating an ability to "keep up" with the work assigned by the
regular classroom teacher.
Inclusion
Involves bringing the support services to the child (rather than moving the child to
the services) and requires only that the child will benefit from being in the class
(rather than having to keep up with the other students).
Full Inclusion
Means that all students, regardless of handicapping condition or severity, will be in
a regular classroom/program full time. All services must be taken to the child in
that setting.

10. Benefits of Inclusion
Inclusion improves learning for both classified and non-classified students. A
teacher is more apt to break instruction into finer parts or repeat directions if there is a
student in the room who deals with deafness, blindness, or a developmental disability.
Children learn to accept individual differences. The best way to help children
overcome their misconceptions about kids who have disabilities is to bring them
together in integrated settings.
Children develop new friendships. Children with disabilities who are included in
regular education develop friendships in their home communities.
Parent participation improves. When children with disabilities are integrated into
local schools, parents have more opportunity to participate in that school and in the
community where the school is located.
It's a matter of civil rights. Students with disabilities have a legal right to attend
regular classes and receive an appropriate education in the least restrictive
environment.

11. Sources
1. http://www.weac.org/Issues_Advocacy/Resource_Pages_On_Issues_one/Special
_Education/special_education_inclusion.aspx
2. http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.html
3. Ericdigests.org/2003-1assistive.html
4. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr320.shtml