When we think of access and accessibility, we generally think of the way people enter buildings but it’s so much more than that. In this episode we talk about how accessibility and universal design can be incorporated into physical spaces and programming so that we can meet the needs of the most people regardless of their age and ability. 

Find more information about KY IEP Advocate here - www.kyiepadvocate.org

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What happens when a support or service isn’t available? This happens most commonly with weather or sickness and it can feel stressful for everyone. One thing that can be helpful is to agree upon a back up plan before it’s needed and document it in the student’s IEP. This allows the ARC team to be thoughtful about the most appropriate backup plan that can best meet the student’s needs. It also prevents the decision having to be made by a single person in real time.

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You can find more information about KY IEP Advocate at www.kyIEPadvocate.com

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Guest:

Nick Caprino, Attorney at the Children's Law Center in Northern Kentucky

[email protected]

Acronyms, Highlights, & Links:

Consent to Evaluate Form = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdf

Remember! "X" = will be evaluated & "E" references finding of a previous evaluation

Procedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdf

ARC Meeting = Admissions and Release Committee

IEP = Individualized Education Program

IDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/)

Preparation before meeting:

-Clearly identify and be specific about the issues at hand.

-Think of potential solutions (including those that seem obvious or "dream" solutions).

-Share an outline of issues with the school before the ARC meeting.

During the meeting:

-Discuss the specifics of the issues at hand.

-Speak up! You are the expert in your own child and your concerns and questions are valid.

-Present the solutions you brainstormed ahead of the meeting. Don't worry if they say no to a solution. The next step is to ask "why" with the goal to move toward a comparable solution.

-If a potential solution requires additional time and/or data collection, agree upon a deadline and set a date for a follow up meeting.

-Conference summary report serves as the official record of the meeting.

Record keeping outside of the meeting

-Make sure everything is in writing at some point in time. If a phone call is made in response to an email, be sure to follow up that phone call with an email summary. Send those emails to someone in the school's administration, someone in the district's special education department, someone from the school's special education department, and someone else that you trust (ex: a general education teacher). You can request that all of these individuals are a part of the ARC team attending meetings.

https://www.childrenslawky.org

www.kyIEPadvocate.org

Takeaways:

Remember, a lack of resources is not an excuse to not meet the requirements to educate your child.

Thoughtfully prepare ahead of the ARC meetings, participate during the meeting, and keep a record of anything happening outside of the meeting in email form.

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Episode 012 - Amber Devine- Stinson, CCC-SLP (2/2)

Guest Info = Amber Devine Stinson, CCC-SLP

Consent to Evaluate Form = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdf

-Remember! "X" = will be evaluated & "E" references finding of a previous evaluation

Procedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdf

ASHA = American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (https://www.ASHA.org) to find a Speech Therapist in your area 

Communication Bill of Rights (https://www.asha.org/siteassets/njc/njc-communication-bill-rights.pdf) = put out by the NJC

-The right to interact socially, maintain social closeness, and build relationships. 

-The right to request desired objects, actions, events, and people.

-The right to refuse and reject undesired objects, actions, events, or choices. 

-The right to express personal preferences and feelings. 

-The right to make choices form meaningful alternatives. 

-The right to make comments and share opinions. 

-The right to ask for and give information including changes about routine and environment.

-The right to be informed about people and events in one's life. 

-The right to access interventions and supports that improve communication. 

-The right to have communication acts acknowledged and responded to even when the outcome cannot be realized. 

-The right to have access to functioning AAC & other AT services and devices at all times. 

-The right to access environmental contexts, interactions, and opportunities that promote participation as full communication partners including their peers. 

-The right to be treated with dignity and addressed with respect and courtesy. 

-The right to be addressed directly and not be spoken for or talked about while present. 

-The right to have clear, meaningful, and culturally & linguistically appropriate communications. 

NJC = National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (https://www.asha.org/njc/history/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-MmSM8bjOwjEr6CNwLTQgBW1n8-1FKWHGf_sWdRd0vg1i3VbN)

AAC = Augmented and Alternative Communication 

AT = Assistive Technology

www.KYIEPAdvocate.org

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Episode 011 - Communication Status Evaluations with Amber Devine-Stinson, CCC-SLP (1/2)

Guest Info = Amber Devine-Stinson, CCC-SLP

[email protected]

Consent to Evaluate Form = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdf

Remember! "X" = will be evaluated & "E" references finding of a previous evaluation

Procedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdf

Important Reminder = If there is a suspected deficit in speech, no further evaluation should be completed until a hearing screening has been completed and passed. If not passed, a hearing assessment should be recommended and completed before moving forward with assessment.

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Guest Info = Rachel Brown, MAEd, Certified Psych Examiner and Clinical Team Lead at Come Play, STL 

Come Play, STL = https://www.comeplaystl.com

Consent to Evaluate Form = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdf

www.KYIEPAdvocate.org

Takeaways

Academic Performance Section of the Consent to Evaluate

Math Calculation = understanding and application of mathematical identification and operations; the objective way numbers go together 

Math Reasoning = interpreting numbers and how numbers are applicable in the real world (ex: sequencing, graphs, telling time, word problems, and distinguishing relevant information from irrelevant information) 

Oral Expression = vocabulary, definitions, categorization, repetition and language memory

Listening Comprehension = links the auditory component to understanding (ex: matching verbal words to pictures)

Written Expression = sentence construction and grammar (ex: 

Performance Based Tests, Criterion Referenced Tests, and Curriculum Based Tests = the ways in which the above performance indicators are showing up in the classroom

Behavior Observations = how you connect all of these academic-based skills to what is happening in the classroom; are expectations matching the observations listed in the above criterion and will include narrative data 

Remember, in Kentucky, the boxes with items to be evaluated will have an "X" instead of a "√."

The purpose of the evaluation is to objectively gather data to establish a baseline, discontinue ineffective processes, and try a different approach. 

Some of the goals of an IEP are closing the gap between the student's performance and a mastered skill-set, post-secondary skills including independent living and vocation, and building on basic skills in the future. 

Intervention can be a tool to assist students that may be behind their peers catch up so that future interventions may no longer be needed. 

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Guest Info = Rachel Brown, MAEd, Certified Psych Examiner and Clinical Team Lead at Come Play, STL 

https://www.comeplaystl.com

Kentucky Department of Education 

Consent to Evaluate =

https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdf

CVC words = words that follow the consonant, vowel, consonant pattern

Procedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdf

Find out more about KY IEP Advocate by visiting our website here - www.KYIEPAdvocate.org

Takeaways:

Academic Performance section on the Consent to Evaluate Form (top right corner)

What do skill deficits look like that would trigger evaluation? 

• Basic Reading: skills you need to become a fluent reader that can comprehend what you're reading. Word recognition vs. decoding slower. What strategies are they using to figure out an unknown word? Do they transpose letters? Where are they struggling and what is that specific skill deficit? 
• Reading Comprehension: Can they take all of the words they just read and make sense of them? This is often viewed in other subjects beyond English Language Arts. Ex: a child struggling in math might actually have a deficit in reading comprehension.
• Reading Fluency: timed reading; accuracy while reading; are they paying attention to punctuation? Does it sound conversational?

Coping mechanisms that kids can develop to adapt are important

• Ex: deflection with questions or answering with what they do know instead of the question asked

It's important to look for patterns and collect a lot of data. Note that there is a lot of overlap in the boxes. 

Be mindful of native language and cultural differences that may impact reading skills

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Guest Info = Robyn Coleman, School Psychologist & Owner of Full Spectrum Educational Consulting

She works with districts and families specializing in autism and multi-lingual learners, dyslexia, and systems change.

FullSpectrumEC.com

[email protected]

ARC = Admissions & Release Committee; person organizing, communicating, and taking notes at IEP-related meetings

FSIQ = Full Scale IQ that is one number that combines all of the index scores

GAI = Full Scale Index with the working index and processing speed removed; typically used when there is a motor issue (potentially impacting writing) or ADHD (potentially impacting processing time)

IEE = Independent Educational Evaluation; you're entitled to one IEE per every evaluations

IQ Test = standardized intelligence test often given by the school psychologist at school; used to determine what services and support may be needed; intellectual disabilities are below the 70-75 range paired with daily living skills in the same range; 130 is the start of the range for giftedness

NVI = nonverbal index

PSI = Processing Speed Index

VCI = Verbal Comprehension Index

Procedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdf

Find out more about KY IEP Advocate by visiting our website here - www.KYIEPAdvocate.org

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ARC Chair = Admissions Release Committee Chair; person that is organizing the meeting, communicating, and documenting notes (may also be called an Implementation Coach)

Meeting Notice Document = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/ARC_Meeting_Notice_Blank.pdf

More info about KY IEP Advocate can be found here - www.kyIEPadvocate.org

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Procedural Safeguards = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdf

Find more information about KY IEP Advocate here - www.KYIEPAdvocate.org

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