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News Update

15/04/2024

Changes to the AON Process
The Assessment of Education Needs(AON) process, as part of the Health Service Executive (HSE) AON process, has changed.

Click the button below for more details.

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National Council for Special Education - Working to deliver a better special education service - Working to deliver a better special education service

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15/04/2024 Changes to the AON Process The Assessment of Education Needs(AON) process, as part of the Health Service Executive (HSE) AON process, has changed. Click the button below for more details.

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What's an Individual Education Plan (IEP) & how can I Set One Up for My Child? - AsIAm.ie

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What's an Individual Education Plan (IEP) & how can I Set One Up for My Child? - AsIAm.ie

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An Individual Education Plan, often referred to as an 'IEP', is a plan to support your child's learning and development. The IEP is led by the child's strengths and learning ... What's an Individual Education Plan (IEP) & how can I Set One Up for My Child? Read More "

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IEP effectiveness from a Hearing Impairment (HI) perspective

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IEP effectiveness from a Hearing Impairment (HI) perspective

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Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are not mandatory in schools in Ireland, but give a practical way to structure and document a child's learning progress. Parents & educators will use web-based tools for regular, collaborative contact and record-keeping.

Try this formal IEP Checklist for a child in mainstream education.

Building An Individual Education Plan

When devising an IEP ( Individualised Education Plan) for a new school year, it is essential to think about your child's needs and the options available.

An IEP can be used if your child is starting pre-school, or primary school.

Before a child starts school, three questions to consider:

1. What do you want your kids to learn?

2. What teaching methods do you want the teachers to use?

3. What accommodations do your kids need to learn in school?

At this stage, you will know if your child is attending a mainstream or specialist school, and this will influence future decisions.

Communication, Radio Systems And CART

If your child is learning to talk and/or sign, an IEP can plan this. However, every family chooses their own communication option for themselves: you know your child best.

Some children use FM and soundfield systems. These send sounds from a teacher (via a microphone) to a receiver on a student's hearing-device.

In class, captioning ( CART: Communication Access Realtime Translation) may be an option for profoundly-deaf students. While CART is used in Australia and the US, it is just emerging in Ireland 's third-level sector.

If your child needs a resource teacher for languages or other subjects, this needs noting. Reviews will show if a child needs extra help so you and the teachers can tweak the IEP.

Examples of aims in IEPs may be for the child to learn:

One to five new words, per day

Use of verbs, tenses, etc in their primary communication mode

The different colours

To fasten their shoes/tie their shoelaces

To read (1) with an adult and (2) by themselves

To tell the time

How to share with others

To build friendships

To obey their teacher/s

IEPs Are A Rolling Work In Progress!

While IEPS are important, one plan does not last forever. Parents and teachers must amend the plan as the child progresses in their education, with social and learning milestones passed.

Dates should be set for parent/s to meet with the school to discuss progress and make amendments. The most important work is to start a plan with aims and time goals. You may start with small goals and build these over time.
(compiled by Miriam Walsh)
Further Reading:

* Educational Supports For Deaf Children in Ireland

* Individual Education Plans (IDK summary)

* A Rough Guide to IEPs - How To Put IEPs To Work In Irish Schools

* A Teacher's Guide to Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

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The Effective Use Of IEPs In Irish Classrooms - Sound Advice

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Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are not mandatory in schools in Ireland, but give a practical way to structure and document a child's learning progress. Parents & educators will use web-based tools for regular, collaborative contact and record-keeping. Try this formal IEP Checklist for a child in mainstream education.

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Before finishing the current version of the IEP, the targets for the student are set out. As mentioned throughout this Padlet, the learning targets and goals should always be SMART. The targets section will include a description of each target set out for the student in their plan, and the supports/resources that will be used for that student to achieve that target. There may also be personnel assigned to targets to assist and monitor the student throughout the process. There will be progress and review dates set for each target so that every single target has a time frame the student can follow, and that if a target is not being met by a certain time it can be modified to become more achievable. Along with this there is a progress monitoring section for long term targets and targets that may be reviewed in this IEP, or carried into a new one.

Finally, after completing several consultation and review cycles, the IEP is signed off by the Student!

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Along with what kind of educational program the student will be engaging in or is currently enrolled in, additional information is provided based on what types of assessments and examinations the student is set to encounter as part of this course and their IEP. These assessments can be modified to suit the needs and abilities of any learner and may take a variety of different forms. This section also includes any assessment/examination supports, exemptions or modifications that the student will use.

Finally in this section, the actions taken before implementing the IEP into the student's educational experience are laid out. This may involve discussing it with the student to review and modify any sections

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Next a formal assessment of the student's skills and needs is made using reports from professionals and people involved in the student's life. This section includes the abilities,  skills and talents of the student, their specific learning needs, priority learning needs,  the accommodations required by the student in  education and the support services the student uses/has access to. This section also includes the student's participation level in regular education. This may be anywhere from a regular educational program with minor modifications or added supports, up to a highly specialized educational program aimed at developing priority life skills like toileting and basic communication. The highly specialized nature of every unique IEP is why they are so important in education.

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Next, the IEP team and relevant people in the individual student's life are consulted on any informal assessments, notes and observations they have made in relation to the student. This can be physical, behavioral, emotional, but is mainly based in the student's skills, care needs, preferred learning styles, interests and dislikes.

During this process the student will also be consulted and they are invited to self-assess their abilities. This gives valuable insight into the student's current performance and learning abilities and is a crucial step for learner involvement.

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As a teacher, you will not directly write the IEP. Instead, you will be involved in the writing process.  There will be multiple meetings depending on the student's needs with the IEP team. This may include teachers, principals, parents/guardians, professionals like OT, PT or SLTs, keyworkers and/or primary carers.
The first step in the actual IEP is filling in the student's personal details to begin creating the physical IEP.

This section will include details about the student's life, family/carers, school life and nature of their SEN.
The student's school timetable may be included in this section, along with any modifications in their timetable to suit the student's needs.

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Fantastic in-depth review of writing IEPs 

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Fantastic in-depth review of writing IEPs 

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*However this video uses the American IEP design which is different to the Irish design, but it is still useful video for getting one's head around the IEP process!

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IEP | How to Write An IEP | That Special Educator

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What Is an IEP? | Individualized Education Program Explained

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Useful video for parents/guardians!

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Revealed; Expert IEP Secrets Tailored Toward YOU | Special Education Resource

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Individualized Education Plans (IEP) are a requirement for every child receiving special education and related services in the public school system. The IEP process should be individualized and fair, and the resulting plan should be used to outline the steps, goals and personalized learning needed for that particular child to reach their excellence.

We've created video resources for IEP related topics on our YouTube channel!

In most cases, there are seven steps involved in the formation of the IEP. However, the number of steps may vary depending on the school district and the needs of the child. The IEP is one of the most significant elements used to ensure that children with special needs receive quality teaching and a customized learning environment designed to maximize their education.

7 Steps Of The Special Education IEP Process

Step 1: Pre-Referral

There are different pre-referral interventions through which to initiate the IEP process. These interventions are implemented based on the type of disability exhibited by the student.
The main objectives of the pre-referral are;
* Document and elaborate the challenges and difficulties exhibited by the child.
* Evaluate the usefulness of classroom accommodations and changes.
* Review the power of different instructional interventions.
* Supervise the development of the student.

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The pre-referral process helps to determine whether behavioral and educational challenges exhibited by the child can be resolved in a general education classroom. To avoid unnecessary evaluations and placements, the assessments used at this stage are purely intervention-based. Typically crafted in the general education class, this step is conducted with the use of direct performance procedures. Helping to save money, time and other resources in the process.

During the pre-referral stage, teachers will try various certified teaching approaches in hopes of establishing whether flawed instruction could be the cause of the problems exhibited. Children whose learning remains challenged will be referred to the next step in the IEP process, referred for special education services.

Step 2: Referral

If the pre-referral interventions prove unsuccessful, the student is referred for special education services through the use of a referral. Referrals can come from parents, daycare professionals, public health nurses, doctors or social service agencies. Referral for special education services can happen at different stages during a child's life and vary a great deal based on their individual needs. Often, poor academic performance, continued misbehavior or disruption of their learning environment are prerequisites to this stage.

Step 3: Identification

Once a referral has been made, a special assessment is carried out to determine whether the child has a disability that requires special education services. During this stage of the IEP process, the child's major life activities such as interpersonal relationships, performance in school and at home are used to assess the kind of services required.

Multidisciplinary teams become involved to help determine the child's distinctive strengths and needs. This team includes parents and other family members, educational diagnostician, school psychologist, or a teacher depending on the state where it is conducted.

An array of data types, assessment instruments and methods are used during this stage in order to create an accurate report later used to determine the correct path for the student. If the final decision is that the child has a disability that requires special education, a baseline of performance is determined.

Step 4: Eligibility

The information gathered during the assessment stage is used to categorize those who have a disability and are eligible for special education services. The IEP committee creates different elements of the services required to plan and deliver an appropriate education framework. Students who do not meet the qualifications for special education services remain in the traditional classroom setting.

Step 5: Development Of The IEP

The next step in the process is to create the actual IEP. An IEP team is formed which includes the child's parents, educators, administrators and other specialists. As a parent attending an IEP meeting for the first time may be an overwhelming experience. To help calm your nerves and know your child is receiving the help they deserve, you have the right to bring a child advocate with you to the meeting. Child advocates are paid professionals familiar with these proceedings and work specifically for the child and their parents.

During the meeting, resources required by the child are identified, their individualized learning style determined, along with goals both long term and short term.

Step 6: Implementation

At this stage, the student's IEP and associated services commence. Accommodations are provided for both instructions and testing along with a range of multidisciplinary services required from different providers to support the child's educational program. The providers your child with special needs will interact with moving forward could include occupational or physical therapists, and other special education professionals.

Step 7: Evaluation And Reviews

Each IEP developed requires accountability and consistent follow up by the child's parents. A review is conducted annually or after every three years depending on the state. The purpose for these reviews is to determine whether the child is meeting their educational goals.

If the goals are not being met, revisions are made in the IEP. In the event that the child is meeting and even exceeding their IEP goals, new milestones are determined. In some cases, the child may be moved back into the traditional classroom setting.

Additional Resources

Once your child is enrolled in special education, there are a ton of options available to help ensure their success. Different types of classroom settings (, ), different schools (charter, private) and resources outside the classroom such as special education tutoring. The you gather regarding your child's specific , the better equipped you will be in finding and maintaining the perfect environment for them to thrive.

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7 Steps Of The IEP Process | SpecialEdResource.com

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Individualized Education Plans (IEP) are a requirement for every child receiving special education and related services in the public school system. The IEP process should be individualized and fair, and the resulting plan should be used to outline the steps, goals and personalized learning needed for that particular child to reach their excellence.

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IEPs ensure students get the educational experience and learning they deserve

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IEPs ensure students get the educational experience and learning they deserve

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1. Set clear Learning Goals

2. Prioritize Learning Needs

3. Directly Involve the Learner

4. Involve the Parent(s) or Guardians(s)

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The IEP process is a continuous cycle of assessment, implementation, review and modification.

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The IEP process is a continuous cycle of assessment, implementation, review and modification.

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The Learning Goals/Targets for an individual student should always be a SMART target.

Specific - Written in language that everyone accessing the IEP can understand from professionals involved in the student's life to the actual student.
Measurable - Goals must be measurable through some type of assessment, skill usage, observation, or student report. Improvements and developments are always measurable in some way!
Attainable/Achievable - The student should be able to achieve the goal themselves. Be careful not to overstep boundaries as a teacher. Don't set goals too high or with unrealistic standards.
Realistic & Relevant - Again, steer away from goals with realistic standards for the student, and make sure goals are actually relevant to the students.
Timely - Make sure goals are achievable within a given time frame, i.e. don't set endless goals!

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The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act brought IEPs into Ireland.
EPSEN provides the legislative basis for the preparation, implementation and review of IEPs, but due to the economic climate during the creation of he EPSEN Act, IEPs were not made a legal requirement.

In Ireland there is no transition planning for students with IEPs moving on to other forms of education.
This leads to major inconsistencies in the use and perceptions of IEPs in Ireland (Rose et al., 2012, p.110 )

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What are the categories of Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

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What are the categories of Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

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There are 5 broad categories, and learners can be apart of multiple categories.
1. Physical and Sensory
2. Intellectual or General Learning Disability
3. Specific Learning Disability
4. Autism Spectrum Disorder
5. Mental Health Difficulties

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Check up on your SEN Acronym Knowledge! This list may look a bit overwhelming, but don't worry it is just a guide to check any time you encounter an acronym you are unsure of.

AAC - Augmentative and alternative communication
AT - Assistive Technology
ASD - Autism Spectrum Disorder
ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
DCD - Developmental Coordination Disorder
DES - Department of Education and Skills
EBD - Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties
EPSEN - Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs
EF - Executive Functioning
EFL - English as a Foreign Language
FE - Further Education
FW - Framework
HE / HEA: Higher Education / Higher Education Authority
HI - Hearing Impairment
ID - Intellectual Disability
NCSE - National Council for Special Education
NVDA - Non-Visual Desktop Access
OT - Occupational Therapy/Therapist
PD - Physical Disability
PT - Physio Therapy/Therapist
RT - Resource Teacher
SLT - Speech and Language Therapy/Therapist
SSP - (DEIS schools) - School Support Program
SPLD - Specific Learning Difference
SENO -Special Educational Needs Organizer
SNA - Special Needs Assistant
SET - Special Education Teacher
SIM - School Inclusion Model
STT-  Speech to Text
SwD - Students with Disabilities
TTS-  Text to Speech
UD/ UDL - Universal Design / Universal Design for Learning
VLE - Virtual Learning Environment
VR - Voice Recognition

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So what is an Individual Education Plan (IEP)?

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So what is an Individual Education Plan (IEP)?

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An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written plan developed collaboratively with the student, their parents or guardians, professionals and the school. The IEP supports students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). The IEP is a record of modifications made to an educational program for an individual student. We will look at the steps of creating the IEP lower down in this padlet. Scroll down to see!

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Here is a diagram with all of the people who will be involved in the IEP process.