March 7, 2024

Your go-to guide to IEP assessments is here

The IEP assessment process, while crucial to creating more individualized IEPs, can often seem like a magnifying glass zooming in on our kids’ strengths and challenges (and everything in between). But assessments are one of the primary ways IEP teams can better understand the unique educational needs of kids with disabilities, and a thorough assessment of your child is going to be the key to creating an IEP that accurately reflects and caters to their strengths, goals, and areas of need. So how can we help ensure that our kiddos’ assessments are doing what they should be doing? Do we need to learn to assess their assessments?!

In a nutshell: yes. But with the right support and resources — like the ones we share below — the process doesn’t have to feel so daunting; it can even feel like a piece (or two) of cake. Here’s your go-to guide to IEP assessments — from the different types of assessments available (and how to apply a “neurodiversity-affirming” approach to them) to why they’re essential in making sure our kiddos receive the appropriate services, supports, and accommodations in the classroom, playground, and beyond.

Whether you’re facing your child’s first assessment or you just need a little refresher, brush up on the basics of assessments, including what neurodiversity-affirming assessments are (and how to request one), by reading IEP Assessments 101. Use this sample letter to help you request an assessment for an IEP at any time.

If you’re wondering whether your child needs behavioral support at school, our article Functional Behavioral Assessments 101 walks you through how to request an FBA, how it should be conducted, and how you can make sure it benefits your child.

If the school district performs an IEP assessment and you feel it doesn’t accurately reflect your child’s strengths and needs, do you just give up? No, you can request an independent evaluation, or an IEE! Read more on the value of IEEs and how to request one for your child in our article Independent Educational Evaluations (IEE) 101.

For a deeper dive into assessments, see All About Assessments, where you’ll hear from Dr. Sarah Pelangka, special education advocate and owner of KnowIEPs, about different types of assessments, what to do when disputing test scores, and more!

 

As heard on the podcasts Brave Together, Parent Footprint, Just Two Dads, and Talk About It, Kelley Coleman is an author and advocate who has spent over a decade navigating public benefits, insurance, and education for her child with multiple disabilities. Join us on Monday, March 11, 2024, 4:00–5:00 p.m. for a live Q&A where she’ll give us practical tips and advice (and a pep talk!) on how we can advocate to make sure our kids get what they need. Register here for our event! (If you can’t attend the event live, RSVP anyway to get the full replay and recap of the highlights in your email!)

Have you ever been in an IEP and heard something that doesn’t sound quite right, but you don’t know how to respond? Then you tell your friend, and they’ve heard those exact same words in their child’s IEP? If something is stated as fact and repeatedly quoted as policy, it becomes easier to believe, despite that burning sensation in your gut. (We’re looking at you, “We don’t do that here!”) Join us for a virtual Q&A on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 1:00–2:00 p.m. with Undivided’s Education Advocate, Lisa Carey, who will take some of the most common things said in IEPs and talk us through how we can respond.

Register for the event here! (If you can’t participate in the chat during the event itself, RSVP anyway for the full replay and recap straight to your email inbox!)

Undivided has partnered with researchers at Stanford and the University of Oregon to provide the Family Advice and Support Text and Telephone line (FASTT), a text-based service available for caregivers to receive customized advice and support on questions about challenging behaviors and managing stress related to caregiving. Join us in conversation on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. with Dr. Shannon Peake, one of the researchers behind FASTT, as we talk about the program and its impact on parents.

FASTT is still open to new parent signups, so attend this event to learn how to participate! (FASTT is available to all parents of children under age 10 in California — no Undivided membership required.) RSVP to get the link to our virtual event! (If you can’t attend the event live, RSVP anyway to receive a full replay and recap with the highlights in your email.)

Office Hours with Leslie Lobel

On Wednesday, March 20th from 12:00–1:00 p.m., Undivided Director of Health Plan Advocacy, Leslie Lobel will be available to answer all of your questions about insurance, including pre-authorizations, explanation of benefits, out-of-network claims, optimizing in-network coverage, and more! Bi-weekly Office Hours are virtual Q&A sessions with experts that are open to Undivided members only, so sign up here if you’d like to attend!

 

One Undivided member shares with us, “[My Navigator] was so great. Having her help me with the IEP and give me ideas really made me feel like I went in better prepared. It was a much better meeting than I would’ve had if [she] hadn’t helped me.”

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This newsletter was originally sent to our subscribers on 3/7/24. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more resources like this in your inbox, and check out our full library of articles, templates, and videos at undivided.io/resources.