• Understanding the Special Education Processes
• Homeschooling and State Testing
• Using Notebooks in Instruction
• Calming Strategies

As a parent to a child with special education services, here are some processes that are common:

IEP Processes

At a minimum, the IEP Team consists of parents/guardians, administrator, HST teacher, case manager, and other service providers.

The Case Managers at Inspire are credentialed special education teachers. They will be the main point of contact for scheduling IEPs, questions you may have about IEPs, and retrieving feedback from members of the IEP team.

About a month before the IEP meeting, the case manage will be reaching out to members of the IEP team, including the parents, to find a time to schedule the meeting and also request feedback about how the child is performing.

If you want to request an IEP meeting, the case manager is legally allowed 30 days after the written request to schedule the meeting.

Service Processes

If it is determined that your child qualifies for a new service, or if there is a change in service, here is what to expect:

1. Once the IEP is fully signed and consented to by all members of the team, the case manager will request the services with our service coordinators.

2. The service coordinators will work to find on the appropriate service provider for your child.

3. Once a service provider is assigned, they will reach out directly to you (the parent) about scheduling services.

4. When services begin, the case manager will be in contact with the service provider throughout the year to ensure that services are being given and check in on progress.

State Testing can bring up some anxiety with students and their parents. Here are some things to know so you know what to expect for you child in the state testing processes:

Scheduling

Your Home School Teacher will be contacting you to schedule your child's test date and time . They will be your point of contact for anything regarding testing dates or scheduling.

Accommodations/Modifications

If your child receives any testing accommodations or modifications on their IEP, your child's Special Education Case Manager will take necessary steps to ensure those supports are provided to your child while they complete the test.

Know the Test

Familiarize yourself with the content that will be covered on the test. Talk with your child's teacher about ways you can help your child prepare for the test.

Practice Test-Taking Skills

If your child is not experienced with standardized tests or has difficulty with them in the past, you may want to practice skills on how to take a test. Try practice test questions or discuss and explain different types of test questions.

Talk With Your Teacher

If you have any questions or concerns about your child's test-taking ability or anxiety they may be experiencing, discuss this with your child's teacher. They can direct your to resources or provide suggestions for how to prepare your child.

Nutrition and Sleep are Important

If your child has energy, they can focus better. Eating a healthy breakfast and getting sufficient sleep the night before will help them perform better.

Focus on the Positive

Discuss the test with your child in a positive way. If you demonstrate anxiety about the test, your child may pick-up on this emotion and begin feeling anxious themselves. You may also want to practice some techniques for managing anxiety, with your child.

Minds in Bloom.com's article on "7 reasons to use interactive notebooks" gives great examples and knowledge about why using interactive notebooks with instruction is beneficial for your student. As the article states, using interactive notebooks teach students how to synthesize and organize their thoughts, it accommodates multiple learning styles, student-teacher-parent interaction is strengthened, and it allows parents and teachers to see the student's growth over time. Interactive notebooks also act as a resource for the learner, helps the student take ownership of their learning, and also reduces clutter. You can view the article here:

https://minds-in-bloom.com/7-reasons-to-use-interactive-notebooks/

What are some things you can do to help your child calm down so learning can happen? What happens if your child is too hyper or distracted for learning time?

In the article "10 Ways to Teach Kids to Calm Down" by Sunshine Parenting, they give some great suggestions on how to help teach your kids how to calm down.

Their suggestions include:

• Listening to Music
• Sensory (stimulation)
• Gum Chewing/ Eating Snacks
• Breathing exercises
• Stretching
• Giving warnings (for transition periods)
• Modeling being calm (kids can mimic your behavior- be aware of your own actions)!

You can read the article here: https://sunshine-parenting.com/10-ways-teach-kids-calm/