Individualized Education Program Research Articles

MAKING SENSE OF INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS (IEPS) AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS: PRACTICAL TOOLS TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN SCHOOL AND DURING THE TRANSITION TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Participants will: 1) improve their understanding of the purpose and limits to neuropsychological reports, via a neuropsychologist-led review of redacted neuropsychological reports; 2) review the structure and purpose of 504 Plans, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and accommodations for children and adolescents with mental health disorders in order to improve child and adolescent psychiatrists’ skills in educating patients and families on special education procedures and rights; 3) obtain best-practice information on the importance of mental health secondary transition and IEP obligations in order to assist educators in facilitating postschool success; 4) review redacted IEPs and discuss pragmatic ways to establish communication and collaboration in order to create better IEP goals and advocacy to support students, including pandemic reengagement and culturally sensitive assessments; and 5) learn how to incorporate information from IEPs and neuropsychological reports into patient management.

Developing Individualized Education Program (IEP) on Early Reading for Special Needs Students in Inclusive Primary Schools in Magetan Regency

This research describes and explains (i) the condition of early reading for special needs students in inclusive primary schools in Magetan regency, Indonesia; (ii) the teachers’ need for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for early reading; and (iii) the development of IEP in early reading for special needs students. The study is developmental research introduced by Borg dan Gall. The research was planned to be conducted in four steps: exploration, model development, model testing, and dissemination. However, the current study explains the development of IEP at the exploration step. A descriptive qualitative method was used in the exploration step. Data were collected through document study, observation, and interview, and analyzed using the interactive model. The research at the exploration step showed the following results: First, teachers faced many constraints while teaching early reading to special needs students; each special needs student faced a different obstacle which only a few teachers understood and tackled well. In addition, some obstacles also came from parents who are unaware of their children’s needs and cannot contribute to their studies. Second, teachers need IEP in early reading for special needs students to tackle the different obstacles. Based on the research results, a prototype for IEP in early reading for special needs students at inclusive primary schools in Magetan Regency was designed at the development step.
 Keywords: Individualized Education Program (IEP), early reading, special need students, inclusive primary school

Parents of children who are deafblind face challenges in fostering collaboration within individualized education program teams

Although active parent involvement is mandated as part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents continue to report dissatisfaction with Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Despite increases in parent participation policy since the adoption of IDEA, the parent–professional partnership originally envisioned by lawmakers is arguably not consistent with practice. This is evident for all families with children who represent the 13 disability categories covered under the auspice of IDEA; however, because deafblindness is a low-incidence disability with a heterogeneous population, this study focuses on families with children who are deafblind. Parents of children who are deafblind have unique challenges before, during, and after IEP meetings. Professional knowledge about deafblindness is often lacking, thereby requiring families to gain and share knowledge on their own. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to gain an understanding of what leads parents to develop advocacy strategies, and how parents view collaboration. Fourteen mothers of children who are deafblind were interviewed about the unique and essential perspectives that they have concerning IEP team meetings and collaboration. The following questions were posed: RQ: What experiences lead parents of children who are deafblind to develop and use collaborative skills with their child’s IEP team? The challenges parents experience falls into two distinct themes: (a) challenges associated with the deafblind population in schools and (b) challenges with the IEP process. Parent views on collaboration are also discussed. Educators who read this study will better understand the unique experiences of parents of children who are deafblind in IEP meetings.

Assessment of the prevalence, risk factors of insomnia, and its effect on quality of life among young population of North region

Background: Insomnia is characterized as a complaint of inadequate sleep. Insomnia becomes a major public concern day by day which influences the quality of life of numerous individuals around the planet. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and risk factors of insomnia in the general population and to determine the quality of life.Methods: It was a cross-sectional observational study. Data were obtained from the general population by using a standard questionnaire, the ISI scale, and quality of life satisfaction scales were used.Results: The prevalence rate of insomnia was 33%. A total of 88 subjects had insomnia. There was an association between insomnia and life style factors at significance p value ≤ 0.05.The associated factors were profession, education, marital status, lifestyle factors such as watching TV or phone before sleep, smoking, drinking alcohol, do not walk daily, family history of psychiatric disease, medical history, and psychiatric history. The average scoring for quality of life was about 50.34 in those who did not have insomnia as compared to 38.49 in those who had insomnia.Conclusions: A one-third of the young population had insomnia. Quality of life is impaired due to insomnia. There must be education programs for young individuals to provide the information on promoting sleep.

Longitudinal Development of Verbal and Nonverbal Intelligence After Cochlear Implantation According to Wechsler Tests in German-speaking Children: A Preliminary Study.

Intelligence as a construct of cognitive abilities is the basis of knowledge and skill acquisition and the main predictor of academic achievement. As a broad construct, it is usually divided into subdomains, such as nonverbal and verbal intelligence. Verbal intelligence is one domain of intelligence but is not synonymous with specific linguistic abilities like grammar proficiency. We aim to address the general expectation that early cochlear implantation enables children who are hard of hearing to develop comprehensively, including with respect to verbal intelligence. The primary purpose of this study is to trace the longitudinal development of verbal and nonverbal intelligence in children with cochlear implants (CIs). Sixteen children with congenital hearing loss who received unilateral or bilateral implants and completed at least two intelligence assessments around the age of school entrance were included in the study. The first assessment was performed around 3 years after CI fitting (chronological age range: 3.93 to 7.03 years). The second assessment was performed approximately 2 years after the first assessment. To analyze verbal and nonverbal IQ in conjunction and across children at different ages, we used corresponding standardized and normalized tests from the same test family (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence and/or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children). Regarding longitudinal development, both verbal and nonverbal IQ increased, but verbal IQ increased more substantially over time. At the time of the second measurement, verbal and nonverbal IQ were on a comparable level. Nevertheless, we also observed strong inter-individual differences. The duration between both assessments was significantly associated with verbal IQ at the second measurement time point and thus with verbal IQ gain over time. Education mode (regular vs. special kindergarten/school) was significantly correlated with nonverbal IQ at the second assessment time point. The results, despite the small sample size, clearly suggest that children with CIs can achieve intellectual abilities comparable to those of their normal-hearing peers by around the third year after initial CI fitting, and they continue to improve over the following 2 years. We recommend further research focusing on verbal IQ assessed around the age of school entrance to be used as a predictor for further development and for the establishment of an individual educational program.

Reduction in school individualized education program (IEP) services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic created novel challenges for school systems and students, particularly students with disabilities. In the shift to remote/distance learning, this report explores the degree to which children with disabilities did not receive the special education and related services defined in their individualized education program (IEP).MethodsPatients attending an outpatient tertiary care center for neurodevelopmental disabilities in Maryland were surveyed on the impact of the pandemic on educational services provision.ResultsNearly half (46%) of respondents qualified for special education and related services through an IEP before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those with IEPs, 48% attested to reduced frequency and/or duration of special education and/or related services during the pandemic. The reduction was greatest in occupational therapy services (47%), followed physical therapy services (46%), and special education services (34%).ConclusionThis survey of children with disabilities observes a substantial reduction in IEP services reported in their completed surveys. To address the observed reduction in IEP services, we sought additional education for clinicians on the rights of students with disabilities in anticipation of students’ re-entry to the classroom. A special education law attorney provided an instructional session on compensatory education and recovery services to prepare clinicians to properly inform parents about their rights and advocate for patients with unmet IEP services during the pandemic.

Inclusion of Digital Literacy Skills in Transition Planning for Students With Intellectual Disabilities

Inclusive post-secondary education (PSE) for students with intellectual disabilities (IDs) is becoming increasingly common in colleges and universities. A majority of these inclusive PSE programs focus on academic enrichment, socialization, independent living skills, integrated work experiences, and career skills. Thus, in inclusive PSE programs, it is important for students with ID to be able to use technology for academic, employment, independent living, and communication functions. It is also beneficial if these students are able to use different technology devices (e.g., computers, smart phones, and tablets) for multiple purposes in order to complete academic, social, recreational, and vocational tasks. Although students with ID can be taught these skills in college, students who begin PSE programs already having these technology skills are better prepared for college and adulthood. Including digital literacy skills, technology strategies, and assistive technology use and application goals in Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition plans may be very helpful in preparing high school students for multiple adult outcomes. This paper describes some of the assistive technology and digital literacy skills, strategies, tools, and goals that secondary level special education teachers should include in students’ IEPs and transition plans. It also suggests how special education teachers can teach these technology skills.

SOCIAL AND PEDAGOGICAL ASPECTS OF ADULT LEARNING IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The article is devoted to the problem of social and pedagogical aspects of adult learning in European countries in modern society. The most of European countries have a legislative and regulatory framework for the regulation of adult learning, which defines its goals, principles and mechanisms of state support, main actors, their rights and obligations, ways of coordinating the actions of different providers of educational services, principles and financing. Summarizing the above, it is necessary to conclude that in the UK and other European countries specialists receive professional training according to the standard of profession, that is, according to the set of professional and personal qualities and properties, which are very important in the organization of professional training. The author highlights the peculiarities of European adult learning. Thus, the main directions of adult learning development in the international environment are: experiments on nonlinear organization of the educational process, introduction of credit system and rating assessment, development and realization of individual educational programs, organization of interaction with the labor market, customers and consumers of professional personnel and creation the effective system of quality management of adult education.

It Takes a Community: How Environmental Systems Construct (In)Competence in Autistic Peer Interactions.

This study aims to illustrate how environmental systems shape the peer interactions of an autistic student within the classroom. Drawing on the bioecological model of human development, this situated discourse analysis used thematic coding and microanalysis to examine data from semistructured interviews and 10 sessions of direct classroom observations of a 9-year-old autistic student and his classroom communication partners. Convergent data across participants, time, and data sources revealed the following systemic influences on peer interaction: predominant medicalized view of autism (macrosystem), educational practices (exosystem), misaligned roles across adults and peers in the classroom (mesosystem), and multimodal opportunities for direct interaction that were supported by objects and physical contact and inhibited by rapid pacing (microsystem). Findings illustrate the environmental complexities associated with the development of peer interactions for autistic students. We offer explicit clinical implications for how environmental factors can be addressed in the school-based eligibility determination process and in the Individualized Education Program.

Hard LRE Choices in the Era of Inclusion: Rights and Their Implications

Rights of students are often misunderstood. Civil rights of minorities granted by the U.S. Supreme Court are confused with human rights of individuals with disabilities granted by the U.S. Congress. Federal law applying to the education of individuals with disabilities requires that difficult decisions be made by families and schools regarding how to address four different and interrelated provisions of Public Law 94-142 of 1975 (now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 or IDEA): (a) a free, appropriate public education (FAPE), (b) an Individualized Education Program (IEP), (c) placement in the least restrictive environment (LRE), and (d) a full continuum of alternative placements (CAP). Special attention is given to LRE because the full inclusion movement and other influences related to a portion of disability studies have made it the central issue in special education. Under the law, three hard-to-answer questions must be asked in all cases involving special education: (a) What is an appropriate special education for a particular student with a disability? (b) What is the LRE in which that most appropriate education can occur for that individual student? (c) What is the CAP related to that individualized appropriate education?

P-094: EXPLORING SCHOOL LIVED EXPERIENCES OF SECONDARY STUDENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE THROUGH THEIR PARENTS’ LENS

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the academic and emotion of secondary students with sickle cell disease school experiences as their parents recalled them. Educators are responsible for ensuring access to quality education for all students. Students with disabilities have a legal right to a free appropriate public education under Section 504 and the Individualized Education Program (IEP). The chronic illness this research will focus on is children living with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that causes severe pain episodes when sickled blood cells get stuck in blood vessels. To explore these experiences, the researcher employed a qualitative phenomenological approach to inquiry. The researcher also employed a social constructivism approach. Materials and methods: The study purpose was to investigate students’ academic and emotional school lived experiences through interviews and a focus group. The research method involved using the data from interviews, artifacts, and the focus group to analyze the parents’ experiences, background stories, and perspectives. The research method also included reviewing some parents’ artifacts, such as attendance records, grades, IEPs and 504 plans, and psychological evaluations to understand their educational attainment, absenteeism, and achievement. One participant shared the school attendance policy with the researcher as an additional artifact to provide additional insight into the phenomenon. Results: . The four themes that emerged were: (a) the need for a consistent approach by school staff, with awareness and understanding in an inclusive setting, (b) challenges faced by children with sickle cell disease in a school setting, (c) parents need for empowerment, and (d) need for adaptability in school culture and practices. The findings, results, and interpretations from this qualitative, phenomenological study support the need for increased awareness and support for secondary students with sickle cell disease as it relates to student achievement, emotion, and psychosocial challenges. Conclusion: Recommendation 1: Effective collaboration between schools and medical/psychosocial team Recommendation 2: Provide Targeted Professional Development Recommendation 3: Create Personalized Learning Options for Some Students with Sickle Cell Disease Recommendation 4: Promote Parent and Student Empowerment 1. Listen to mother’s story 2. Parent, Student and School Team Engagement Council 3. Parent Support Group 4. Review Hospital Homebound policy The authors do not declare any conflict of interest

Efficacy of nutrition education for the increase of symbiotic intake on nutritional and metabolic status in schizophrenic spectrum disorders: A two-arm protocol.

Background/ObjectivesThe microbiota plays a vital role in the two-way communication between the gastrointestinal tract and numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. Besides, the microbiota modulation through the use of psychobiotics (prebiotics and probiotics with nutraceutical action) is related to the improvement of the physical and psychopathological health. The objective to this study was to test the efficacy of prebiotic/probiotic dietary modulation in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, attending to the nutritional and cardio-metabolic impact.MethodsTwo-arms, double-blind, randomized in balanced blocks clinical trial of 6 months of intervention, will be developed in a group of 50 individuals. The control group will receive conventional dietary advice individually from specialized mental health nurses. In the intervention group, an individual dietetic-nutritional education program with high prebiotic and probiotic content (dairy and fermented foods, green leafy vegetables, high-fiber fruit, whole grains, etc.) will be developed by these nurses. Data will be collected on the psychopathological state, and blood test (at the beginning, at 3 and 6 months). The estimation of intestinal microbiota and the usual nutritional pattern will also be assessed at the beginning and 6 months, using a stool test. To evaluate the degree of adherence, the intervention group will fill a specific weekly record of the main dishes/food consumed. Anthropometric parameters will also be analyzed monthly.DiscussionThe study is anticipated to establish feasibility an adequate dietary modulation with a high simbiotic content, leads to a significant improvement in the nutritional status and cardio-metabolic. Furthermore, it is presumed to reach a degree of evidence that allows establishing nutritional management as an effective therapeutic intervention in the psychopathological treatment of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Clinical Trial Registration[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT04366401].

Caregiver Perspectives Regarding Special Education Service Changes Amid COVID-19.

School instruction and service delivery changed dramatically amid disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Children receiving special education services were especially vulnerable to the impact of reduced or eliminated school services as part of their Individualized Education Programs. Caregiver perspectives regarding the changes in school service delivery amid the pandemic were evaluated using qualitative methods. Caregivers reported reduced or eliminated services, inconsistencies in service delivery, challenges with distance learning, increased stress and advocacy efforts, and varying perceptions of student engagement and teacher efforts. The implications of school services changes are discussed.

Factors Associated With Parent IEP Satisfaction

While the challenges experienced by parents during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings have been well documented, limited research has examined parent satisfaction with the IEP document itself and which factors are associated with greater satisfaction. Using 1,183 responses from a national survey, we addressed the following research questions: (a) How satisfied are parents with their child’s current IEP? and (b) What characteristics of the parent, child, family–professional partnership, and IEP meeting predict greater parent satisfaction with their child’s IEP? Approximately 40% of parents reported some degree of dissatisfaction with their child’s IEP. Several child characteristics were associated with the most extreme levels of satisfaction. Results of a regression analysis indicated that, for this sample, parent, child, family–professional partnership, and IEP meeting characteristics significantly predicted parent satisfaction, with characteristics of the IEP meeting among the strongest predictors. Implications are discussed, including the need to replicate these findings with a more representative sample.

Intentional Collaboration With Speech-Language Pathologists to Support Language Outcomes of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

This article argues for intentional collaboration between teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders and speech-language pathologists. After providing a rationale, we detail how special education teachers can leverage the expertise of speech-language pathologists during the Individualized Education Program process. We provide actionable steps that special education teachers and speech-language pathologists can take together to improve the identification, assessment, and subsequent support of language difficulty in students with emotional and behavioral disorders.

VR/AR technologies and staff training for mining industry

Personnel working at mining enterprises must be prepared to overcome professional difficulties and to possess the professional competencies required not only for the implementation of processes, but above all their safety. Modern digital modeling technologies used in mining activities expand the boundaries of practical training not only for future mining engineers, but also for working specialists. As part of the training process, it is important that the simulation of the mining environment be of a high quality almost indistinguishable from the actual environment. In this context, the development of process solutions based on virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR technologies) is most relevant. Process automation in the conditions of large-scale digital transformation laid the foundations for the development of VR/AR in mining industry. Data analysis shows that VR/AR technologies are the major consumer of IT solutions. They are in fact the integrator, or the highest “IT-transformation”, which in practical terms create digital parallel production objects and processes. Further developments in this area may also change some of the existing traditional entities or create new ones, in the training system as well. An example of such an entity, on which the digital future will depend, is the emerging “digital culture”. As such it will be applicable not only in the corporate, industry, but also nationally. Despite the diversity of areas in the development of VR/AR technologies, the maximum effect of their implementation is manifested in the development of special skills of personnel in equipment operation. This clearly relates to the need to ensure the efficiency and reliability of technological operations and processes. The interaction between the consumer and producer of VR/AR solutions together with universities allows a number of problems related to the formation of competencies in the future generation of specialists to be resolved. These include: training of university graduates; creation of specialized courses in educational programs; individual higher educational programs; professional development and retraining courses for specialists in the field of VR/AR technologies in mining; involvement of the academic community representatives in the development of practical tasks based on VR/AR solutions, including researchers of different specializations (geology, geophysics, geotechnics, geoinformatics, aerology, geotechnology, mining machinery and equipment, automation, etc.). Other key areas include the dissemination of the best practices of VR/AR usage in the interests of future customers; creation of a common method to assess the effectiveness of VR/AR projects to determine their investment attractiveness; as well as prediction and creation of future technologies.

School Challenges and Services Related to Executive Functioning for Fully Included Middle Schoolers with Autism.

The educational services available for fully included middle schoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the general education setting are not well known. Even less is known about how the executive functioning (EF) deficits of such youth are addressed in the classroom. The current study sought to identify the challenges, including EF, that middle schoolers with ASD face and the services that they receive on their Individualized Education Program (IEP), and also explore specific strategies used to build EF skills at school. A convenience data sample was obtained from focus groups with educational personnel (n = 15), and qualitative analyses of IEPs were conducted in middle schoolers with ASD with EF deficits (n = 23). Results confirmed that social communication and EF challenges are common. Multiple services and accommodations were identified, although EF challenges were rarely targeted on IEPs. Factors that may facilitate the success of EF strategies in the classroom are discussed.

Beyond the Dotted Line: Empowering Parents From Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families to Participate

Parent participation in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process is a critical factor in improving the effectiveness of children’s special education programs and services. However, many families, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds, are unfamiliar with the IEP process and their rights under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). For families with young children with special needs in preschool, this process may be even more daunting when they may have just transitioned from early intervention services to the school system. The article will focus on the critical need for early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers to support and empower families to become active participants in their child’s IEP. The article will 1) examine the importance of cultural self-awareness in developing collaborative relationships with families, 2) discuss supports for CLD families, and 3) provide an easy-to-follow checklist for ECSE teachers as they support and empower CLD families to become active participants in their children’s IEP.

Editors' Notes on Themed Issue on Civil Society Education: East Asia

This is the fourth themed issue in the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership (JNEL) in which researchers around the world examine regional and national training and education programs for individuals with civil society leadership roles. The issue has its origin in a post-conference airport meeting a few years ago between one of the editors of this series of themed issues and a set of prominent scholars from East Asia. As most researchers would confirm, the value of a research conference is seldom found in the various seminars or panels, but rather in the unplanned encounters that take place at breakfast, over a coffee, or—in this case—at the airport. The mere airport happenstance turned out to be the beginning of several valuable research initiatives. Since then, among other things, the authors and the editors have met and organized public disseminations, including the Nonprofit Higher Education Research Summit at he ISTR International Conference in 2021. The overall result is not only a significant contribution to the series of themed issues, but also, and more importantly, the first mapping of programs in nonprofit and nongovernmental management education in East Asia.

Focus of Special Education Services in High School for Diploma-Track Autistic Students

Abstract Date Presented 04/01/2022 High school Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals of 44 diploma-track autistic youth were coded for content. Most goals addressed social-emotional, executive function, and self-advocacy. Sensory processing, daily living skills, and postschool occupations were least addressed but are known challenges for this population. Although OTs rarely provided school services for these youth, these areas are aligned with the scope of OT practice. There is a need to advocate for OT’s role in transition services for this population. Primary Author and Speaker: Sharada Krishnan Contributing Authors: Deborah Greene, Jennifer Chen, Ellen Cohn, Wendy Coster, Gael Orsmond