spk_0: 0:04
welcome to practical access. I am Lisa Dieker,
spk_1: 0:08
and I'm Rebecca Hines. I think that we're really in a place where we need to start thinking about IEPs. I'm getting asked often. About what? How do we make sure that we are meeting the needs of of kids and these IEPs in this new environment?
spk_0: 0:28
Yeah, I'm not so sure that that's it. Just a new environment issue. Becky. I think it's always one that people struggle with in general. And I think one of the things we try to talk about is that you know, even great co teaching. You want to make sure you're not just being another general ed teacher, but you're really making those. IEPs a living and breathing document, and I think my first thought there is making sure that that we have some kind of maitresse ease or some kind of image in front of us as we're online reminding ourselves that I'm working. If whether I'm a P T and O. T occupational therapists, physical therapist or a special ed teacher, this kid needs help with blank because I might be so fighting on an awful kids every 15 minutes. So I think first off we have to make sure that document has life in our minds and that we're sharing the life of that document again with parents who have signed it. But again, they're busy and with the other service providers that might be working with. And that's kind of my first thought is that we really have to bring that document to life.
spk_1: 1:27
That's a great point. I know that's something that we both tried to share with teachers ongoing. It's not just a piece of paper that's filed somewhere other. It's digital or hard. Copy should drive her actions every day. Well, this this environment, I would say, while you're making that a living document actually keeping really good anecdotal notes because everyone is expected to do you know, attendance and all of these things right now. But I think that it's got to be overwhelming. I know it is for the teachers that I talked to to try to keep track of so many moving parts at once, but at the end of the day, IEPs for kids with disabilities is that document that we need to safeguard the most so so reasonably speaking. You know, we're supposed to make every effort possible to reach out to students. But what do we do when we just cannot make that connection? So the biggest tip, I would say is being sure you document every single attempt right now and every single way that you're trying to connect with students. I know that's a real practical, you know. I'm sure people know that intuitively, but it's sometimes unless we sit down and really purposefully do that. I think it's easy to forget in these these crazy times.
spk_0: 2:49
Yeah, and you know, I definitely said one of them thinks these podcast is we're not lawyers, nor do we want to go there, all right. But I do know there's like, signatures going around with over 1000 signatures with, you know, Please don't change the safeguards that air there. So I do believe we've got to remind ourselves, Even in this online environment, students with disabilities deserve free and appropriate public education, and I think that's one of our greatest fears. And yet, as sure when you think about documenting, I kind of left. We always said, you know, teachers make 1300 decisions a day. And you know what's harder than online environment is which tool to use to make that decision with. So I make a lot of rapid fire decisions to help that kid on the skill right now or not, because they're ready for independence from that goal in the classroom, I think we should trust the online environment to last to do the same. But maybe we have to do more of that discussion with families. And a lot of my teachers say they're using, like class dough, Joe, as communication tool Remind and I even loved one of my teachers just said that she used class. So Joe, with the translator on, reminded parents to Google. Translate that If you want to remind yourself of your kids goals, you could actually have them translated in your language, she said. It's not perfect, but the word independence kind of means the same across languages and saying that might be a keyword to work on. And so I think two things. They're making sure that parents are helping us give feedback on those goals because they're seeing their kids more when it's possible. If we can discuss with the parents. But I think the second thing is maybe really being very clear and specific of a single word that that we're really focus unethical. Is it war words, or is it bigger movements? Or is it instead of trying to say the goal is three times a week to do the following? I think that's a lot for people in this online.
spk_1: 4:38
Agreed. And I've been doing a lot of I've been, you know, looking around for guidance from from different sources. Of course, the DEA, we, for one has lost the council for exceptional Children, et cetera, and, uh, in one of the, um, brief sent out by the D. O E. It was very early on in March. They did say that we have to develop a process to communicate with parents and guardians. Recording their child service is, and I think that's that process and this idea of creating this process and thinking about the way we did a lot of things in March to make sure that we got up and running. But as it looks like, things are gonna be shut down in our schools longer obviously than we thought we do need to backtrack a thing to make sure that things are being done. Procedurally. So, I'm not I'm not gonna be surprised, Lisa, if having plans for for distance learning doesn't become a part of the IEP in the future and knowing in advance how we're going to serve the needs of these kids. So you're talking a lot about the things that are like front and center right now, and I agree wholeheartedly make it easy so that its consumable and something that we can do an actionable and the other side of that is let's think about what this means for us long term, because what we put in place right now and what we start to kind of vet in terms of what's working and what not it may, it may end up being in the eyepiece in the future.
spk_0: 6:10
Yeah, I think we're the things we both always say is stop reading stupid goals. Get nation of them. You don't know what they are. You weren't sure you can deliver them. This is a really good time to reevaluate and say, What could I do online versus what could I do face to face. I think a lot of families would appreciate. I know one of our colleagues such initiatives. 66 people visit her son for ight Eagles this week. That's a lot of people. And yet, if those six people aren't communicating and the parent is trying to work at home, we have real empathy for trying to figure all that out. And that's where I think simple matrix we shared across people. I love the gold book to kind of share. And yet I think the one thing that I keep hearing and I'd love to hear your thoughts is, you know, in Florida with exempt people from the state test that's not true in a lot of states. And so teachers like knowing you kids up to meet the goal. I still have to meet this standard, and I know that's something we're gonna talk about. A future podcast is rigor, but how do we ensure that those kids are ready with those type eagles as they may be? Moving to ST Testing was very unknown. World of Covered 90.
spk_1: 7:20
Well, I think that comes down to access to that standards based instruction, and I think That's something that you know. And as you mentioned, so many different people serving kids with disabilities. Sit down this online environment, people parents are getting, you know, an email from this person, an email from that person, email from this person and and it's it can feel very disjointed. So so for this schools and districts that are really focusing on how do you take that? IEP and not only making a living document, but almost make it a a new interactive that links you right out to the teacher or the best et cetera from a single from a single place. In terms of the instruction, then it is well, were we linking them for him to get this exact content lesson and if it's not being delivered somewhere? Ideally, that's a link to that child's Jenna teacher. But if we can't find out a way to link the child up to that, I would be looking at things like out school. I'd be looking at all all around to find standards based lessons to make sure that we're providing access because at the end of the day, providing access is is is what we're legally expected to D'oh!
spk_0: 8:31
Yeah, it sounds like a great tech startup company or something that says hi. You know, I'm Becky and I want to remind you, in the last session your child did this because it does seem like some about in the future. If we could automate it, we could certainly change the world. We're not there yet, but this podcast is about dreaming about the future of those living in the present. So any last thoughts there for me, I guess the last thought is, is again kind of a core value is communicate, communicate. But don't we got us? We cannot expect the parents in this time of stress for everybody, especially the working parents, parents who might not speak the language to be the person who could put all this together. I think it's something as professionals, we have to figure out a system within our system to do that, whether it means reaching out. And that's the best news I keep hearing is, many of the teachers say the best thing that has happened is they do have time to communicate, so I don't know what that tool is that it's a Google doc spreadsheet A simple Matrix. But to me, that seems to be what we really have to do. We're gonna have faith and really bring the eyepiece of life.
spk_1: 9:37
I think so as well, only said. I think it's time for us just as an educational community toe, look at our peers and see who had, who has the skills to do these kind of things and to make Cem Cem interactive documents for us and just get on board with the idea of Let's let's all collaborate. We have a big team of people here to serve kids. Let's figure out who can do it. Let's just start building it now so that we will have a process ready in the future.
spk_0: 10:03
And I always look back to early childhood. You know, they have inner, uh, family service plans. They've always served the family as a team. I think that's what the IEP needs to look like more of this online
spk_1: 10:15
fire. I think so as well.
spk_0: 10:18
Yeah, so we look forward to you posting any questions you might have and putting them on Twitter @accesspractical and thank you for joining us today. I'm practical
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