Once a child has been determined to be eligible for services, and the child’s needs and the family strengths, concerns, and priorities have been identified, the intervention plan is outlined in detail. The program plan for most children age three and older is an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

IDEA expanded the requirements of the IEP team membership. The roles of members are included below:

The child’s parents.

The role of parents or guardians was strengthened in the federal regulations (34 CFR 303.406) to make them equal participants in developing, reviewing, and revising the IEP for their child. This role includes providing critical information about their child’s abilities, interests, and development and  articulating their concerns related to their child’s education.

Parents must be given the opportunity to participate in the discussion about their child’s need for special education, including any supplementary aids and services. They must also be involved in the decisions
affecting their child’s eligibility for and participation in the general education environment and curriculum, including supports that may be required.

The general education teacher.

A general education teacher must participate if the child is currently  attending or may attend the general education program. Because it is not known before the IEP meeting whether a child will enroll in a regular class, it is important that a general education teacher attend all initial IEP meetings, including IEP meetings for preschool-age children. The teacher is most likely the one who will be responsible for implementing the portions of the IEP provided in the general education program.
His or her role is to participate in discussions on modifying the curriculum to best meet the child’s needs. This participation may include determining appropriate instructional strategies and behavioral interventions
and anticipating the need for program modifications, supplementary aids and services, and any training or support deemed necessary for school personnel. If there is no regular preschool program in the school district, someone with certification in child development who is qualified to work with this age group must be designated to participate.

At least one special education teacher.
This teacher should be responsible for implementing the special education services of the IEP and may be an early childhood special education teacher, speech and language therapist, nurse, adapted physical education teacher, or other service provider.

An LEA representative.

This person should be qualified to provide or supervise the provision of specially designed instruction
to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities, have knowledge of the general education curriculum, and be familiar with the LEA’s resources.

A professional who can interpret assessment results.

This team member— perhaps one of those professional members noted previously—must be able to  interpret the instructional implications of the evaluation results.

Providers of related services.

These providers may be proposed or current providers or vendors of services for the child.

An interpreter (if required).

Others.

Those who have knowledge of the child (e.g., a relative) or who possess special expertise of benefit to the
child (e.g., a former pediatrician) fall into this group. They may attend at the parents’ discretion.

The required components, with a few exceptions, remain the same as those required under IDEA. The IEP for the preschool child differs from the one for young people from kindergarten to age twenty-two years. Descriptions of each component follow.

Present Levels of Educational Performance

The special education assessment for present levels of educational performance for persons from three to twenty-two years of age is required only in the areas of the suspected disability. The  assessment must include information on how the disability affects the child’s participation in age appropriate activities and is intended to focus attention on any adjustments necessary for the child to participate in the regular preschool curriculum.

This section outlines the child’s performance in the following areas:
• Adaptive skills
• Cognitive ability
• Health (including hearing and vision)
• Gross and fine motor skills
• School readiness or achievement
• Social–emotional interactions
• Speech and language development

The IEP should address a child’s strengths and needs in each performance area, especially in the areas affected by the child’s disability. This section is a likely place to note information about what motivates the child and which teaching methods are likely to be successful. The family can
provide a wealth of information regarding the skills the child exhibits at home and in other natural environments. This information provides the team with baseline data and identifies those circumstances that will enhance the child’s potential for success.

Assessment results

Results of the assessments of student achievement should be written in a manner that is  understandable to all team members and should be more than just a list of test scores. This is
particularly important for young children for whom standardized testing is often inappropriate or, at best, inconclusive. The inclusion of a range of abilities and descriptive information, in addition to assessment results, gives a more accurate picture of the child’s strengths and needs when services and goals are determined. If non-standardized assessment is used or if standardized assessment tools are adapted, those conditions must be so noted in the
assessment report.

Examples

Manuel’s fine and gross motor skills, by parental report and classroom observation, appear age-appropriate according to developmental scales.

Tanya walks and runs without difficulty, climbs a playground structure, and is able to catch a large ball. Her skills are within age-level expectancy.

Myesha snips with scissors, copies simple shapes, manipulates paint brushes, and uses crayons and markers with an appropriate grasp.

Jessica can follow two-step directions; understand the concepts in, on, and under; and identify six body parts. She scores in the 2- to 2.6-year range using the PLS-III measure of receptive language. (PLS refers to the Preschool Language Scale.)

Garrett is able to produce all sounds expected for his age. His receptive and expressive language is moderately delayed. He uses two-word phrases and follows two-step directions.

Kim’s cognitive skills are in the below-average range at this time.

The IEP must state the special education services, as well as supplementary aids and services, provided to the child to meet the goals and objectives or benchmarks developed. There must also be a statement of program modifications or supports the program staff need to meet the goals and allow the child to make progress in the regular preschool setting. The intent of IDEA is to provide
needed services to the child in the least restrictive environment rather than to fit the child to an existing program.

Placement determination must take into account all factors related to the child’s needs. There are three guiding principles for placement decisions:

1. The child will be placed in the least restrictive environment that meets his or her educational needs.
2. Educational need will be addressed rather than the disability category of the child.
3. Family desires and priorities will receive primary consideration.

Pre-planning with the parent by reviewing all options and observing programs when feasible helps all participants make well-informed decisions regarding appropriate programs and services. A full range of options must be available, as follows:

• Designated instruction and services that include activities in this professional areas:
  • Adapted Physical Education
  • Assistive technology
  • Audiology
  • Behavior management
  • Deaf and hard of hearing services
  • Education technology
  • Group counseling
  • Health and Nursing
  • Individual counseling
  • Interpreter services
  • Itinerant services
  • Language and speech
  • Occupational therapy
  • Orientation and mobility
  • Parent counseling
  • Physical therapy
  • Psychological services
  • Social services by a social worker
  • Specialized physical health care
  • Specialized service for low-incidence disabilities
  • Transportation
  • Vision services
• General education
• Home visits
• Hospital visits
• Inclusive settings where special education services are provided
• Resource specialist program
• Special class settings
• State special schools for students who are blind or deaf
• Any combination of the above

IDEA specifies that the IEP must include a statement of how the disability affects the preschool child’s participation in age appropriate activities. These activities may be different for each family, depending on culture, values, and responsibilities. Activities may occur in any setting that is typical for the child’s peers, must be provided in the least restrictive environment, and must include activities in the home and in community settings in which children without disabilities participate. Age appropriate activities may take place in the following locations:
Child care center

• Community preschool
• Family child care home
• Head Start program
• Child’s home
• Park
• Play group
• State Preschool

Examples:

Matthew is able to participate in outdoor play at a community preschool when helped on and off playground equipment. He needs assistance because he has cerebral palsy.

To participate in the Head Start program, Stacy requires a sign language interpreter because of her hearing impairment.

Luis is not able to participate in a large-group preschool setting because of his educational needs related to Asperger’s syndrome. He requires a structured learning environment in a small group.

Note:

The law requires all children to be educated in a general education setting unless the nature or severity of a child’s disability is such that he or she cannot learn in that setting, even with  supplementary aids and services. In addition, if a child is not participating in a regular preschool program, or in a setting that is age-appropriate, the reasons must be explained.

As in the past, the IEP must include the frequency and duration of the special education and related services provided and the date when service will be initiated. In addition, the IEP must indicate the location of the services, such as “in the classroom” or “in the speech therapy room.”

Progress Reports

IDEA requires that parents be informed of progress at least as often as parents who have children in the regular school program are informed. Publicly funded preschool programs, such as Head Start, State Preschool, or General Child Care, are required to hold progress reviews with parents during the year. Private community preschools may or may not have regularly scheduled parent meetings to review progress. The IEP must include a statement of how the child’s parents will
be informed of progress and how often. Parents may be informed in a variety of ways:

• A progress report from the regular preschool program, which documents the modifications Additional information from the pro­vider of special education or related services regarding the child’s progress toward goals and short-term objectives or benchmarks
• An interview with the parent during a home visit or meeting, which the provider documents in the child’s records

The parent and teacher should communicate with each other, preferably in
person, during a progress review. An interview allows parents the opportunity to ask questions about the report and receive clarification if necessary. If the current IEP needs modification, a formal IEP meeting must be called in accord with all state and federal requirements.

At the annual IEP review, parents and other team members must evaluate the child’s progress toward the goals and short-term objectives or benchmarks and the success of the placement and services.

Determination of continued goals and a review of appropriate placement options for the coming year are also required. In preparation for this meeting, it is recommended that the teachers talk with the family and answer questions regarding goals and placements to ensure that the family has all the information necessary to participate equally in the IEP meeting. If the teacher or a service  rovider (e.g., the county mental health association or CCS) anticipates a change in placement or services, it is appropriate to plan with the parents as much as possible prior to the meeting.