IEP Services and Supports

When a child is disabled, she may have physical impairments which prevent access to general curriculum. She may need someone to help her use learning tools. The aid would be one of the child’s supplementary IEP services.

A blind child would require braille books, a child who is unable to talk requires a talking computer to communicate “verbally”, or a child who is incapable of holding a pencil may require a scribe to write for them. Each of these kids may also require the help of a person (aid) in the classroom. These kids may need supplementary IEP services and aids.

A child may have less obvious needs such as using a word processor for writing, color overlays for reading, or a “sensory diet” to provide enough stimuli to allow the child to concentrate on learning.

Any IEP services or aids required by your child in order to learn would be called a supplementary aid and would be specified as one of the IEP Services.

IEP Services

Your child may also require specific services to support learning.

When a child has physical impairments that interfere with learning, such as an inability to hold a pencil or inability to speak properly, the child can receive occupational therapy, speech therapy, or physical therapy.

If a child needs therapy, goals would be developed in the IEP Goals section for the specific areas of need. The therapy would be designated as a required supplementary service in this section of the IEP.

ANY need a child has in order to function in his education must be provided through the IEP Services section. IEP Services such as a nursing aide, who tends to medical needs during schooling, vision therapy, special camps, etc. may be provided to a child. The IEP services must be educationally necessary in some way.

When a child would regress significantly and be unable to make up lost ground at the beginning of the following school year, summer camps or summer tutoring services may be needed to maintain gains in physical, social, or intellectual skills. These types of IEP services are provided as “Extended School Year” (ESY).

ESY services can be provided any time—before school, after school, during holidays, or breaks. They can include tutoring for specific academic topics, specialized groups for social interactions, activities for developing motor skills, etc.

To figure out what supplementary aids and IEP services your child may need, ask yourself these questions:
• What does your child NEED to make learning accessible?
• Is there assistive technology that will improve your child’s learning?
• Has your child had an “Assistive Technology Evaluation”?

If your child has not had an A.T. evaluation.. Write your school a letter kindly requesting an “Assistive Technology Evaluation” now. You will need this information when you sit down with your IEP team to write your child’s IEP.

If you need ideas about Assistive Technology that may help your child, be sure to check out our Assistive Technology for Reading, Writing, and Math webpages.