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The exact presentation should anyone want to access this after, notes and Alt text can be viewed on personal device once downloaded.

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Individual Education Plan (IEP) Final - EN4026

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This attachment is a PDF of the presentation, it allows access from other devices to be easier.

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Individual Education Plan (IEP) Final - EN4026

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This will increase the amount of SNAs that are required, it should be taking place currently but from my knowledge, getting into a school as an SNA is about contacts over experience so time will tell how this will be implemented.

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As is with everything in Ireland, funding is vital to ensure an IEP can be implemented as well as possible. Without access to certain forms of Assistive Technology (AT), some IEPs may not be introduced as intended.

Other issues can arise when the full support of the Principal and IEP coordinator may act independently of parents/guardians. A full team is required.

Time management with some teachers, depending on their commitments to sports or other activities may negatively effect the IEP coordinator trying to set a suitable time for a committee meeting to take place.

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Assistive Technology (A Blessing when utilised) 

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Assistive Technology (A Blessing when utilised) 

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https://portal.ct.gov/DDS/General/AssistiveTechnology/What-is-Assistive-Technology
Image taken from this American summary on AT.

Some examples of assistive technology used in schools include laptop or tablet computers with modified software, joysticks, keyboards, touch pads, tapes, braille equipment and audiology equipment.

But, challenges can occur when applying for what can be used and students may lose out on what works for them if a late diagnosis occurs or if a breakdown in communication occurs from Primary to Secondary for instance.

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A short Canadian clip that details the understanding of an IEP.

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A short Canadian clip that details the understanding of an IEP.

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A brief but concise of what an IEP is, who creates it but the main components seem to be the same worldwide.

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An IEP specialist heavily focusing on planning.

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An IEP specialist heavily focusing on planning.

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A focus on ADHD is taken but detail around an IEP overall is implied.

The students need to trust their teachers.

Resources and previous use of Assistive Technology (AT) must also be heavily considered.

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IEP's - An Introduction to how an IEP can help students with ADHD

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A nice explanation for parents/guardians for the transition from Primary to Secondary schooling. 

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A nice explanation for parents/guardians for the transition from Primary to Secondary schooling. 

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"An IEP cannot be changed or implemented without your consent. Remember that upon entering secondary school a Transition Plan may be in place that slightly alters the previous IEP. This will have to be reviewed within a short span of time to be sure the child receives appropriate support services. "

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Special Education in Irish secondary schools-new - SchoolDays.ie

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an introduction to special education in Irish secondary schools

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"An IEP is basically a contract between you and the educational entity."

A detailed perspective from a Mother who's son was involved in an IEP from a young age. She gives an unbiased account on it and how involved it is.

Her take is similar to the template that is suggested for use in Ireland.

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What is an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?

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Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (EPSEN) Act of 2004

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Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (EPSEN) Act of 2004

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The full act can be read here or Sections selected that may be of interest.

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Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004

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The electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB) comprises the Acts of the Oireachtas (Parliament), Statutory Instruments, Legislation Directory, Constitution and a limited number of pre-1922 Acts.

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United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

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United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

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I believe this and the EPSEN Act of 2004 getting updated will create the final push for larger scale IEP uptake within Ireland.

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The UNCRPD contains 50 Articles. Aside from provisions around definitions, principles and processes, the Convention contains 26 Articles covering all areas of life, from Health, Education and Employment to Equal Recognition before the Law, Freedom from Exploitation, Violence and Abuse, and Accessibility. The

The Convention also offers intersectional perspectives, in respect of women with disabilities and children with disabilities.

We have developed a series of in-depth papers on individual UNCRPD Articles. These papers detail the main data available relevant to specific Articles and provide an overview of key policies, programmes, services, supports and data that exist in the Irish context.

The Articles completed to date are:

Article 6: Women with disabilities

Article 7: Children with disabilities

Article 8: Awareness raising

Article 13: Access to Justice

Article 16: Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse

Article 19; Living Independently and being included in the community

Article 21: Right to freedom of expression, opinion and access to information

Article 24: Education

Article 25: Health

Article 27: Employment and work

Article 28: Adequate standard of living and social protection

Article 31: Statistic and data collection

More Article review papers are being developed.

Reporting Mechanisms

Following the ratification of the Convention, a State Party must submit an initial Report to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities within two years. The Committee may respond with a List of Issues based on the State Report. The final stage of the reporting cycle includes an interactive dialogue between the Committee and a delegation representing the State Party. This culminates in a report by the Committee entitled 'Concluding Observations'. This cycle is repeated every four year.

Article 33 of the UNCRPD requires that an independent mechanism be established to monitor the progress of Government in improving its laws, policies and essential services to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy the same human rights as everyone else. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) is the independent monitoring mechanism for Convention in Ireland.

Under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act, the National Disability Authority will have a duty to provide information and statistics to IHREC to assist it in carrying out its monitoring role.

The Optional Protocol to the UNCRPD

The Optional Protocol to the UNCRPD is a side-agreement to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It was adopted on 13 December 2006, and entered into force at the same time as its parent Convention on 3 May 2008. As of December 2021, it has 94 signatories and 100 state parties.

The Optional Protocol establishes an individual complaints mechanism for the UNCRDP. States Parties who ratify the Optional Protocol agree to recognise the competence of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to consider complaints from individuals or groups who claim their rights under the Convention have been violated. The Committee can request information from and make recommendations to a party. In addition, States Parties may permit the Committee to investigate, report on and make recommendations on "grave or systematic violations" of the Convention. States Parties may opt out of this latter obligation on signature or ratification.

As of August 2022, Ireland has not yet ratified the Optional Protocol to the UNCRPD.

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United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - National Disability Authority

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The UNCRPD contains 50 Articles. Aside from provisions around definitions, principles and processes, the Convention contains 26 Articles covering all areas of life, from Health, Education and Employment to Equal Recognition before the Law, Freedom from Exploitation, Violence and Abuse, and Accessibility.

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National Council for Special Education (NCSE) - IEP Guidelines 

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National Council for Special Education (NCSE) - IEP Guidelines 

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A detailed report around IEPs and how they are to be implemented.

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The Citizens Information site mentions IEPs directly. 

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The Citizens Information site mentions IEPs directly. 

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Citizens Information is a rather trusted site, on this page it mentions an IEP directly under "Education Plans." Unfortunately it says "However, there is currently no date for the implementation of the assessment of need and individual education plans."

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Introduction

Special needs education means the special educational arrangements which are in place for children with disabilities. All children - including children with disabilities and children with special needs - have a constitutional right to free primary education. Children with special educational needs have the right to free primary education up to age 18 see 'The law on special needs education' below. In the Irish Constitution there is information about the role of the State in providing education and the rights of parents.

You are a person with special educational needs if your capacity to participate in and benefit from education is restricted due to an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or learning disability. The policy is to provide special needs education in mainstream settings as far as possible. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (pdf) provides that children are to be educated in an inclusive setting unless this would not be in the best interests of the child or the effective provision of education for other children in mainstream education.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has published an information booklet for parents, Children with Special Educational Needs (pdf).
Education plans
Allocation Model

In 2017, a new assessment was introduced to determine how special education teachers are allocated to mainstream schools (pdf). Under the new system, each school gets a single allocation of special education teachers. The number of special education teachers allocation to a school is determined by the size of the school and its educational profile.

Schools are provided with the necessary resources in advance so that students with special educational needs can be enrolled into schools and access additional supports. The enables a school to be inclusive and put in place additional teaching support for students who need it. The Department of Education and Skills provides information for parents and guardians on how your child can get additional teaching support in school (pdf).

It was announced in May 2021, that the introduction of the frontloaded Allocation Model for Special Needs Assistants for students in mainstream classes in primary and post-primary schools will be deferred to the 2022-2023 school year.

You can read more about the new allocation model in our document on special needs education in primary and post-primary schools.

Transport

Special transport arrangements, including escorts and safety harnesses are available for children with disabilities attending school.

The Act:

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Special needs education means the special educational arrangements which are in place for children with disabilities. All children - including children with disabilities and children with special needs - have a constitutional right to free primary education. Children with special educational needs have the right to free primary education up to age 18 see 'The law on special needs education' below.

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An article from a Special Education Advocate on an Irish site.

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An article from a Special Education Advocate on an Irish site.

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Information in Ireland is rather old, many other countries such as the US and Australia have vast resources on IEPs. This article on a parenting site is informative and simple to follow.

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MummyPages® is Ireland's biggest and best website for mums and mums-to-be!

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Individual Education Plans (IEP) are documents that identify children's special educational needs and set goals to meet those needs. For example, if social skills are a problem for a child, part of their IEP should include specific goals to improve those skills. If a child has difficulty with handwriting, their IEP should include steps to improve handwriting or to learn touch-typing.

If your child has special needs, an IEP is important for several reasons. An IEP shows you the specific steps a school is taking to help your child reach their potential. It identifies the school staff that are responsible for implementing those steps. Most importantly, it gives parents and students a say in how their educational needs are met.

At present, IEPs are not legally required in our school system. A provision requiring IEP is in the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act of 2004, but is not implemented. However, using IEPs is good practice, and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) recommends their use. Therefore, parents are entitled to ask their children's schools to prepare IEPs.

Putting together an IEP is a process. The NCSE recommends schools follow the process described in this article. To begin, schools gather information about children's strengths and needs. Schools get information from several sources including the children's parents, school records, medical reports and assessments. In addition, the school may consult the child, depending on the child's age and abilities.

Once this information is gathered, the school principal or her designee circulates the information to relevant parties. Then the school schedules a meeting to discuss the IEP. Parents, school staff and relevant professionals are involved in this meeting.

One of the goals of an IEP is to help children with special needs successfully progress through the education system. The IEP focus is on a child's priority learning needs, which are "prioritised areas for intervention", according to the NCSE. After identifying priority learning needs, goals or targets addressing those needs are formulated. Targets are things the student will learn or accomplish so that schools can assess student's progress, targets should be specific, measurable, agreed, realistic and time-bound (SMART). The IEP also includes the methods the school will use to help the student reach their targets.

IEPs are not static documents. They evolve as children's needs changes. Schools revise IEPs if children meet their goals, to modify existing targets, to change targets and when children's needs change. IEPs should be reviewed at least once every school year.

More information about IEPs is on the NCSE's website.

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An overview of Individual Education Plans in Ireland

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Individual Education Plans (IEP) are documents that identify children's special educational needs and set goals to meet those needs. For example, if social skills are a problem for a child, part of their IEP should include specific goals to improve those skills.

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An introduction to Individual Education Plans.

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An introduction to Individual Education Plans.

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https://www.twinkl.ie/teaching-wiki/individual-education-plan-iep

This site introduces IEP's in Ireland in a way that many educators and parents/guardians may not be familiar with. I particularly like the simple template that can be found on this page.

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An IEP identifies the provision needed, sets realistic targets and monitors progress for children with learning difficulties or disabilities.

Download FREE teacher-made resources covering 'Individual Education Plan (IEP)'

What is an IEP (Individual Education Plan)?

An Individual Education Plan or IEP, is an individualised plan or programme designed for children with SEN to describe the provision and adaptations that they need in order to access their learning, and to set personalised targets.

An IEP sets out realistic strategies and objectives that the child will be able to meet, and monitors their progress with these.

What is the Purpose of an IEP?

An IEP allows teachers to adapt specific targets to match the child's needs and how these targets will be reached.

It allows the school to plan ahead appropriately and monitor the effectiveness of teaching, additional support or interventions. It can be used to communicate with parents and other members of staff who help the child, and to help the child become aware of their own learning and progress.

What is in an IEP?

An IEP will contain objectives, targets and strategies outlining information such as:

Assessment information

Targets and timeframes on when the child is expected to achieve an objective

Likes, dislikes and worries that the child has

Details of any additional support they need

Parent/Guardian and child's information

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What is an Individual Education Plan (IEP)? | Twinkl Teaching Wiki

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Looking to learn more about Individual Education Plans (often shortened to IEP)? Check out this informative Teaching Wiki to discover more about these provision boosters.

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The Pygmalion Effect has implications in education. If an educator has positive expectations about student's capacity, then the Pygmalion Effect means the student will respond by rising to that expectation.

Quite simply, more time will aid an individual student but that could turn out to effect other students in an unplanned manner.

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An article relating to IEPs and Learning Outcomes for students

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An article relating to IEPs and Learning Outcomes for students

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An honest paper that acknowledges its limitations due to sample size. What stands out is that the teachers who participated had an active interest in IEPs, would it be wise to expand this to all teachers? Possible training would be required to get all up to the mark I would imagine.

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View of Teachers' Knowledge and Practice Relating to the Individual Education Plan and Learning Outcomes for Pupils with Special Educational Needs

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REACH: Journal of Inclusive Educaiton in Ireland

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A simple but effective graphic showing how the IEP Process has a cyclical nature.

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This article shows that further studies are required into IEPs in Ireland.

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This article shows that further studies are required into IEPs in Ireland.

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Unfortunately, most research seems to be a few years old. Until it is brought into all schools, resistance to change will remain apparent.

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View of An Individual Education Plan for Pupils with Special Educational Needs: How Inclusive is the Process for the Pupil?

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REACH: Journal of Inclusive Educaiton in Ireland

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IEPs must have SMART targets. This is nothing new to educators but is a highly realistic way of managing expectations and success in a way that ensures the process is followed closely.

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A blog post that uses lovely accessible language to explain the Disability Act and IEPs.

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A blog post that uses lovely accessible language to explain the Disability Act and IEPs.

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I particularly like how the author states what terms should not be used and which are proper.

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What is the Disability Act 2005 Ireland?

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AN ACT TO ENABLE PROVISION TO BE MADE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION NEEDS OCCASIONED TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES BY THEIR DISABILITIES, TO ENABLE MINISTERS OF THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE PROVISION, CONSISTENT WITH THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM AND THEIR OBLIGATIONS IN RELATION TO THEIR ALLOCATION, FOR ...