Students with exceptional needs often require support in one or more domains including communication, behavioural, intellectual, and/or physical needs. In Ontario, the purpose of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is to provide the student with meaningful supports and resources to help them access the curriculum to reach their educational goals. Children with an identified exceptionality will have an IEP developed by their classroom teacher, resource teacher, and/or the student support teacher.
Parents are also encouraged to provide information about their child’s exceptionality and what they feel would be beneficial to their child’s success. It is important for families to also share clinical assessments and reports relevant to their child’s diagnosis as this information will help in the development and implementation of the most appropriate resources and supports. The IEP is created based on the student’s strengths and areas of need. Learning goals will be established and measured based on modifications, expectations, teaching strategies and appropriate methods of assessments.
Accommodations such as preferred seating, modified daily schedule and/or technology to support your child’s ability to learn effectively may be applied; modifications to the grade level expectations for the student to support their learning needs can also be included. The classroom teacher may use specific teaching strategies that are reflective of your child’s learning style and will use assessments that will effectively demonstrate learning based on your child’s needs and learning profile based on the student’s IEP. IEPs are living documents that can be updated and changed as your child progresses through school.
Your child’s school will typically establish an IEP within the first 30 days of starting in a new classroom and will provide you with a copy to review and agree to or suggest changes. If you have questions about your child’s IEP or looking for support in the IEP process, the KMFRC Military Family Navigators can help! To connect with a Military Family Navigator please contact the KMFRC at 613-541-5010 ext. 5195.
By: Jane Hotner, Military Family Navigator at the KMFRC