Attention Parents & Caregivers...Understanding your childs Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

As the parent of 15 year old Cameron who lives with Autism, I know full well the struggle it can be to ensure the best education possible for a child with Special Needs. Autism is a pandemic, with every 1 in 91 being diagnosed in the states and the numbers are skyrocketing in other countries such as India, China, and Mexico. ADD & ADHD is on the rise with more and more children being put on what I used to call my 'chill pill'. There is no such thing as standardized education. Many children in our public schools systems are being put on IEP's or Individualized Education Plans/Programs. Every child learns differently and at different paces, especially when it comes to children with special needs. With the right tools, any child can succeed!


I will never forget the very first IEP meeting I attended for Cameron when he was going into Kindergarten from preschool. I walked into a room with 10-12 teachers, therapists, administrators, and the principal of the elementary school Cameron would be attending. The only folks in the room who even knew or had seen Cameron was his teacher, a counselor, and myself. They passed a small photobook around with his picture and as the preschool teacher advised the group of his progress over the last year, the principal stopped her in mid sentence and actually said, 'let's put him in SBH (for those with severe behaviors) and go from there". My stomach turned. Cameron had trouble with the transition from home to preschool. The first couple months he would act out, but then he stopped acting out. The evidence of his Autism was always present but they didn't know enough about it back then to know exactly what to do. I didn't know much about how the IEP process would work at that time, but I knew at the moment she spoke those words, if I didn't stand up and stop it, Cam would suffer the rest of his schooling. I immediately stopped the meeting. I knew I had to seek out an expert and one that could advcate for Cameron to ensure he had what he needed to not only learn, but to thrive in school.

I was fortunate to find an advocate in our county school systems who taught me that I have the power to control how Cameron is taught and what exactly was available to him in way of educational services through the public schools. Some schools don't tell parents that right off the bat because of the money issue. When we resumed our meeting for Cameron's IEP, I was prepared and instead of Cameron ending up in SBH where he would mock behaviors and become SBH, I was able to place him in another school within the county in a classroom appropriate for his needs. While he has had his moments throughout his years in school, he is a freshman in high school now and has not had one 'behavior' in the classroom since. Once I knew how things worked I was able to ensure that music and art have been consistently incorporated into his curriculum ( he responds to music and art the most), and that he has what he needs to learn and thrive. His progress has been amazing.

I invite you to leave your questions or contact me directly by email if you like  at kellyann6465@yahoo.com. I've been around this block a few times and have a load of resources for those of you in my area (Central OH) and online.  In the meantime I will leave you with some links which provide parents with a great deal of information about the IEP. I encourage you to learn more, especially if your child is just starting out in school, or if you know someone who is having a difficult time with the public schools. There are so many of these kids who are misunderstood and misplaced. They end up falling through the cracks to no fault of the parents because so many have to navigate these choppy waters with no course. You are not alone...

LD Online/ IEP's
Essentials of an IEP
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Understanding Special Education/IEP

*The artwork is  a watercolor Cameron did when he was only 5. We titled it 'The Face of Autism'.