Navigator Notes- Monitoring Progress On IEP Goals

You may be wondering... how do I keep track of progress on my child’s IEP goals when school is closed?

First, let’s do a quick rundown of how goals are written. Goals are written based of your child’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) identified by the evaluation that was conducted.

The PLAAFP lists the strengths and weaknesses of your child. Next, based on the weaknesses, IEP goals are developed which include what will be worked on and the expectation. An example of that would be “While reading a paragraph, Bob will produce the “th” sound 4 out or 5 times at 80% accuracy”.

Progress is measured on the goals written during the IEP with the following options - goal not met, making progress, progress made. During this time, you should be getting schoolwork/ activities from your child’s teacher or therapist to do with your child at home. While doing the work, monitor how your child is doing. How is your child performing?

Keeping track of the work done along with progress will help the IEP team when it’s time to meet again and move forward. Your input will be important to help in the decision making when you meet with the IEP team.
Skills Regression: Monitoring and Documenting

From A Day in Our Shoes and Learning Disabilities Association of America


Update for Parents and Professionals

The National Coalition of Parent Centers has been following potential recommendations from Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, regarding waivers of the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA). A report was released yesterday stating that Sec. Devos did NOT recommend any waivers that would impact student’s rights to a free appropriate public education (FAPE).   She and the Department of Education did make two recommendations with respect to IDEA:

  1. Allowing children served in birth – age 3 programs to continue to receive services if the evaluations needed for transition to early childhood 3 – 5 programs have been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. Those that have received Part D personnel development scholarships don't have their service or other obligations negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were no recommendations to waive FAPE, due process, or other core tenants of IDEA. School teams and parents will need to work cooperatively in shared decision making as they review the impact school closures have had on student progress on goals and objectives on IEPs and what supports and services will look like moving forward as the school year ends, IEP meetings are held, and plans are put in place for the future.  
Financial Matters


Stimulus Payments for Dependent Children (under age 17)- May 5th deadline for SSI and VA recipients who did not file 2018 or 2019 tax returns. I n order to quickly receive payments for eligible children ($500 per child) recipients should immediately go to the  IRS’s webpage for Non-Filers: Enter Your Information section to provide their information. Otherwise, the payments for their children will be delayed until 2021, after a 2020 tax return is filed. SSI recipients will automatically start receiving their individual ($1200) Economic Impact Payments directly from the Treasury Department in early May without taking any action.
 
The Social Security Administration will not consider economic impact payments as income for SSI recipients, and the payments are excluded from resources for 12 months. ( Social Security Administration coronavirus page .
Having Fun TOGETHER

NomsterChef.com . Illustrated recipes designed to help kids age 2-12 cook with their grown-ups. Recipes encourage culinary skills, literacy, math, and science. 

10 Fun House Cleaning Activities for Kids. Kids love to clean -- just like they love sharing, eating stringy vegetables and asking only once for something they want ;)
This e-publication was developed under grants from the U.S. Department of Education Project Grant H328M140021 and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Grant H84MC07994, Family to Family Health Information Center, $96,750; and approximately 5% financed with non-governmental resources. The contents should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by US Department of Education, HRSA, HHS or the Federal Government.