Special Education With Care
Inspire Special Education Parent Newsletter
September 2019
Welcome Back to School!
Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! We are excited to share the first issue of the Special Education Newsletter for this school year. We hope you find the information presented in this newsletter, and all future newsletters, meaningful and helpful in providing enriching information to help support you with your child's education. We always welcome your feedback and suggestions on topics to cover. Have a great start to the 2019-2020 school year!
September 2019 Issue Includes:
- Introduction to the InspireCares Website
- What to Expect With Interim IEPs
- Transition Corner
- How to Use Blackboard Collaborate and Zoom
- Helping Your Child Focus and Five Ways to Beat Back-To-School Jitters
- 27 Beloved Rhyming Book Recommendations
- Helping Your Child with Autism Get the Most out of Digital Media
- The Importance of State Testing
InspireCares Website
This website contains a wealth of resources and information about the Special Education Department at Inspire. Topics include Inspire video recordings on special education topics, information on specific disabilities, resources for teaching reading, writing, and math, information on mental health and behavior, and transition planning. Our goal is to provide our current and prospective parents an easy and convenient way to connect with Inspire's Special Education department as well as share various resources for academic and behavior support with our families. The resource library will be continuously updated throughout the year, with this newsletter providing you with monthly updates on the new additions. Your feedback, via a feedback survey on the website, is always welcomed and encouraged. We hope you find this website useful and informative.
Interim IEPs Explained
Interim IEP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If your child is new to Inspire and has a current IEP, you can expect an Interim IEP to be scheduled within the first 30 days of your child's first day of school. The following FAQ guide below will provide a helpful explanation of Interim IEPs and what to expect during Interim IEP meeting.
What is an Interim IEP?
Inspire is required to provide your child with a Free and Appropriate Public Education, including services comparable to those described in their previous IEP from the prior school district, within the first 30 days of your child's first day of school. This IEP meeting is called an Interim IEP meeting.
What will take place at the Interim IEP meeting?
Your child's special education teacher/case manager will schedule the meeting and will include you, your child's general education teacher, special education teacher, an administrative designee, and other related service providers as needed. During this meeting, the IEP team (which always includes the parent) will develop, adopt, and implement a new IEP that is appropriate to your child’s specific needs and their new educational environment at Inspire. This will include reviewing your child IEP’s present levels, goals, accommodations/supports, and services as well as updating anything that is new or changed from your child’s previous IEP.
As the parent, how can I be prepared for the Interim IEP meeting?
As the parent and your child’s primary learning coach, your input at this interim IEP meeting is highly valued and will be considered in developing the Interim IEP. You can expect the team to ask you questions about how your child is performing now that they are attending school at home, including academics, communication, fine/gross motor skills, social and emotional, and other areas. The more information you can share with the team, the better, as this helps the IEP team develop an appropriate plan to meet your child’s needs. It is helpful to come to the meeting with examples or data related to your child's needs to help the IEP team develop an appropriate IEP. The information you provide helps provide a unique perspective on your child's current skills and needs.
At Inspire, we are committed to developing an IEP to meet the needs of each child. Your participation and input is so valued and your questions are important and welcomed during the Interim IEP process. If you have questions about this process at any time, please contact your child's Special Education Teacher/Case Manager.
Transition Corner
Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)-- Student Services
What are DOR Student Services?
DOR Student Services are activities that support you in exploring and preparing for the world of work. Services are based on your interests.
Ask Yourself:
Are you interested in exploring the world of work?
Do you wonder what it takes to be successful in a job?
Would you like to get some work experience?
Are you curious about options for school after you graduate?
Do you want your services to start right away?
If you answered yes, DOR Student Services could be right for you!
Who is Eligible for Student Services with the DOR?
You must be a student (you need to be enrolled in school, but it's okay if you're on break or if school hasn't started yet).
You're between the ages of 16 and 21 (including 16 and 21).
At least one of these options is true:
You have a 504 Plan, or you’re eligible for one if you want one.
You have an IEP.
You have a disability.
Others think you have a disability
For more information and the application process, please contact your student's transition teacher.