Special Services Interview

The EC specialist at my school is amazing. She had all the time in the world to talk to us about the EC program at the school and answer any questions that we had. I guess that patience and kindness are two important qualities that an EC specialist should have. She began to explain the process and I was surprised at how simple she made the process sound but then talked about how long it took to get an IEP put into place. The first step was having a teacher recommend a child for special services. The teacher brings their concern to an SST committee. I’m fortunate enough to be working with a teacher that is on the SST committee and I have seen what questions are brought up in the meetings. Many of the teachers that are working to develop a students IEP have worked with the child or at least know the child and their behaviors – one of the benefits of working in a smaller school.

I guess I knew that parents have the final say in all of their child’s schooling but the EC specialist just kept saying “it’s all up to the parent.” Any time there is a change in the students IEP, the parents must be present at all meetings and must sign all paper work. They may also refuse the specialists referral into the EC program and they can withdraw their student from the program at any time. Why would a parent take their child out of a program that is has been designed specifically for their individual student. However, it happens more frequently then you would think according to the specialist.

I feel that as a future teacher the fact that I did not realize this is kind of bad but I did not know that an IEP was a legally binding document. I knew that teachers would get into trouble for not following the IEP but I did not know that legal action could be taken against the county if the IEP is not followed. Not following the IEP can get teachers into a lot of trouble, but what happens to those that work in schools that do not have the resources to meet the IEP. It’s not the teachers fault that the school can not hire enough specialists or order all of the materials necessary but they in the end, take the ultimate blame for the child not succeeding and the IEP not being followed. Not fair. I really look forward to being part of the SST committee and seeing the process first hand!