IEP: Focus on Strengths Not Weaknesses

 

IEP: Focus on Strengths Not Weakness

 

We are almost a month into the new 2011/2012 school year. About a week ago, when I was volunteering in my daughter's second grade classroom, after we went on a field trip, her teacher told me, "She is a good reader." I agreed she was. When I got home later and reflected, I realized that her teacher's comment was giving me hope. Hope for a school year, in which staff recognized her abilities. It was the first time, I have ever been told by a staff member at my daughter's school, that she is "good" at something academic. Strengths are mentioned but "good at something" was a first.

Her report cards and IEPs in the past have included positive feedback like, "She is an active participant in singing and dancing," "She has worked hard to gain new skills in all areas," "She can independently follow classroom routines," and "She has a delightful disposition." We also have seen positive reports of progress through the codes and numbers selected on those documents. However pleasant those compliments and grading marks are they are things we already know about her personality, determination, and progress and are not complimentary remarks about what she excels in. Written or verbal praise of Karley's academic strengths are far and few in between.

Today, I received her proposed IEP, from the educational team at school, to review before our meeting in two days. The school professionals involved in constructing her IEP consist of a general education teacher, occupational therapist, special education teacher, and speech language pathologist. The rest of her team that attends the meeting and contributes to shaping her IEP include myself, my husband and a school administrator. I flipped to the Present Level of Educational Performance page and began reading the General Education section. It started out great with compliments about her strong presence in the general education classroom, friendliness, and being well liked by peers and moved to another truth, that she demonstrates below grade level skills. After that though, it all went down hill.

I understand that the Present Level of Educational Performance page should accurately identify her current academic performance and recent assessment scores objectively. Why in the world though, does it have to be written in such a negative manner? Instead of writing, "She lacks basic readiness skills in all academic areas," it could have been noted that, "Readiness skills in all academic areas need to be developed," or instead of a negative statement like, "She requires full assistance in order to complete any kind of independent classroom work," it could have been something like, "Assistance with classroom work is necessary for completion." The IEP could also be written from a standpoint of how her disability affects her participation. The phrase, "She struggles to keep pace with her peers," could be in the form of, "Her delay affects her pace." The words we use really do make a difference.

Words are important to me. Words also play a part in how we perceive others. There is a huge shift in perception, from a child who lacks in all areas, requires full assistance in order to complete any work, and struggles to keep up with peers, to a child who needs to develop skills, receive assistance, and has a slower pace. Without saying it, it is being portrayed, that my daughter is a lackluster, needy, struggler. The way the document is written it insinuates that she will never amount to her peers by comparing her to them, instead of looking at her strengths as an individual. I would like to see her IEP build on what she does well not focus on reducing her down to deficits.

There is a lot of word work that needs to be done on this year's legal, binding IEP contract we have entered in to. This document should be agreed upon and agreeable. There comes a time when you must reconsider many things in life. One of these considerations at the present is my daughter's IEP. This will be her third year of attending our neighborhood school as a fully included student with Down syndrome with minimal pull out to special education settings, for specialist services. At this point I feel her IEP in itself should be more positive and constructive and don't feel that is too much to ask.

There is no time like the present to make it over. Karley is a learner and should be described in that way. Especially, when our neighborhood school houses a segregated, high needs program for third to fifth graders. Come June, her IEP must not reflect weakness and must focus on her strengths. Unless it is changed, the current document could be someone's proof that she belongs some where other then general education, next year as a third grader, because of the way it is written. I look forward to addressing this at our next meeting.