SOPM Q/A Notes PDF

SOPM Q/A with page \#s 1. **An initial evaluation [must] include: Pg 21** - The process begins with an initial referral by an authorized person (pg 16) to the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) Team - Communication with Teachers/involved personnel and exploration of...

SOPM Q/A with page \#s 1. **An initial evaluation [must] include: Pg 21** - The process begins with an initial referral by an authorized person (pg 16) to the IEP (Individualized Education Plan) Team - Communication with Teachers/involved personnel and exploration of alternative solutions before Special Ed. Must occur. - Pg 19, an initial evaluation requires parental consent before the DOE can commence; parental consent can be withdrawn - [Pg 21, an initial evaluation must include: ] 1. A social history; 2. A physical examination; 3. An individual psychoeducational assessment (includes IQ and academic testing) 4. At least one observation of the student in the current educational setting; 5. For a student age 12 or older, an assessment that includes a review of school records and teacher assessments and parent and student Interviews to determine vocational skills, aptitudes, and interests. The Level I Vocational forms in SESIS are used for this purpose. 6. Key: Additional evaluations may be added as deemed necessary to encapsulate disability or behavior. This includes vocational/skill evaluation as well 7. Certain vital assessments can be waived with appropriate explication. - Pg 24 -- the role of a Special Educational Teacher in performing the class observation, including: comparing student behavior/performance with other students factoring in cultural, linguistic, and social issues 2. **An FBA [must] be considered whenever:** FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) Pg 26 8. A student who has been referred for an initial evaluation or a student with a disability exhibits behaviors that impede his/her learning or that of others; 9. A student who has been referred for an initial evaluation or a student with a disability exhibits behaviors that place the student or others at risk of harm or injury 10. A student who has been referred for an initial evaluation or a student with a disability demonstrates other behaviors which may interfere with the student's education; and/or The IEP team is considering more restrictive programs or placements 11. The IEP team is considering more restrictive programs or placements due to student behavior. - Other causes of consideration for FBA: 12. Elopement 13. School avoidance 3. **The results of an FBA may indicate that a behavioral intervention plan (BIP) is warranted. A BIP is based on the results of an FBA and, [at a] minimum, includes: (Pg 26, 28)** **\ ** - Pg (26) - a description of the problem behavior, - global and specific hypotheses as to why the problem behavior occurs, and - intervention strategies that include positive behavioral supports and services to address 14. the behavior, 15. antecedents (triggers), and 16. responses to the behavior. - The goal of these intervention strategies is to decrease the incidence of the problem behavior and increase alternative acceptable behavior(s). - Pg (28) - **Prevention**: What can be changed in the student's environment or experience to reduce the likelihood of the problem behavior and facilitate learning? (e.g., seating arrangements, peer and teacher behaviors adaptations or accommodations to curriculum or instructional materials, early morning check-in with a trusted adult when student has problems brought in from outside the school, removals of antecedents/triggers) - **Instruction**: 17. What new, alternative, more appropriate behaviors that serve the same function as the problem behavior can the student be taught to use when antecedents/triggers occur? E.g., Asking for help or a break instead of running out of the classroom to avoid a non-preferred task; Raising a hand instead of shouting out to gain teacher attention; or Protesting negative comments/interactions appropriately instead of hitting peers. 18. How will these new, alternative, more appropriate behaviors be taught? (e.g., communicating clear expectations, modeling, rehearsing, providing positive feedback) 19. What supports will the school give to the student? (e.g., additional adult support during transitions or challenging instructional periods, breaks, instructional services and supports, sensory supports) - **Positive Consequences for Alternative, Appropriate Behavior**: 20. How can the positive, alternative behaviors be reinforced so that they increase? (e.g., providing a specific description to student of what she/he did right; implementing a schedule that provides a preferred activity right after completion of a less preferred activity; providing instructive and constructive feedback; providing a highly preferred reinforcer immediately after alternative behavior) - **Responses to Inappropriate Behavior**: 21. When problem behavior does occur, how will staff respond in order to prevent the problem behavior from being reinforced? 22. What strategies will staff use to de-escalate behavior while keeping the student engaged and responsive? 23. How will staff prevent behavior from escalating? - **Progress Monitoring**: 24. How will staff collect data about the frequency, duration, and intensity of the problem behavior at scheduled intervals, in order to monitor the effectiveness of interventions? How will they document progress and report on it to the parents and the IEP team? 25. How often will the school report the progress to the parent? 5. **Disability Classifications: How is each category defined and what are characteristics for each category?** **\ ** - Remember: the IEP determines eligibility of Special Education, produced as a result of the Initial Evaluation 1. Autism Pg 52 -- The disability classification of Autism is characterized by a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction that adversely affects educational performance and is generally evident before age three. 26. Repetitive activities and stereotyped movement 27. Resistance to environmental or routine changes 28. "unusual" responses to sensory experiences - Not to be confused with emotional disturbance 2. Deaf-Blindness Pg 52 -- a combination of hearing and visual impairments before age 3. This results in severe communication issues and specialized education needs that can't accommodated by programs for deafness or blindness alone-- needs medical documentation to classify 3. Deafness Pg 52 -- a hearing impairment so severe it impairs the processing of linguistic information through hearing with or without a hearing aid -- needs medical documentation to classify 4. Emotional Disturbance Pg 52 -- Students who cannot learn due to continuous behavioral problems, involves the following factors: 1. An inability to learn unexplained by intellectual, sensory, health factors 2. An inability to uphold interpersonal relationships 3. Inappropriate behavior under normal circumstances 4. General state of Depression/Unhappiness 5. Developing physical symptoms/fears with school/personal problems - Schizophrenia is appropriate here - Social Maladjustment alone does not qualify for classification - These students will have a B.I.P. to reference 5. Hearing Impairment Pg 53 -- a hearing impairment that adversely affects educational performance but is not included under 3. Deafness -- medical documentation needed to classify 6. Learning Disability Pg 53 -- A disorder involving one or more basic psychological processes used in understanding or language, illustrated as imperfect ability to listen, speak, think, read, write, spell, or perform math. The IEP team must perform an individualized evaluation for this classification. It must not result from outside factors (other disability, cultural factors, emotional disturbance, English proficiency, economic condition). 7. Intellectual Disability Pg 54 -- Significantly below average general intelligence, existing with deficits in adaptive behavior. They have an IQ below 70 and difficulties in comprehension and life functions. We use an Adaptive Behavior Scale and assessments to determine this. 8. Multiple Disabilities Pg 54 -- a combination of impairments beyond the ability of regular special education for one impairment to accommodate, does *not* coincide with deaf-blindness. Many of these students require help for life. 9. Orthopedic Impairment Pg 54 -- a severe physical impairment (bones/muscles) resulting from congenital anomaly, disease, amputation, cerebral palsy, etc. 10. Other Health Impairment Pg 54 -- impaired strength, vitality, or alertness (including heightened alertness), generally results from chronic/acute health problems that *must* adversely affect educational performance (includes ADHD & ADD) 11. Speech or Language Impairment Pg 55 -- communication disorder (stuttering, faulty articulation, language impairment, voice impairment) -- identified at early age -- we should work with speech therapists 12. Traumatic Brain Injury Pg 55 -- an acquired injury to brain (physical or medical) causing learning impairments excluding congenital/birth trauma -- medical evaluation required for this classification 13. Visual Impairment Pg 55 -- Blindness or impairment to vision hampering learning (even with glasses or other adjustments) -- medical evaluation required for this classification 14. Developmental Delay (Not NYC): Children aged 3-9 with a delay in physical, cognitive, social, emotional, or adaptive development, etc. Early intervention can aid these children (medical, assistive tech., diets, etc.) 6. **The IEP Present Levels of Performance section has [seven components,] to be completed they are: (Pg 56)** **\ ** 15. [Evaluation Results]: The most recent evaluation (with dates), displays student assessments (IQ, academic levels, state assessments, anything provided by parents) and their implications 16. [Academic Achievement, Functional Performance and Learning Characteristics]: What makes the student unique including strengths, weaknesses, learning style, interests, learning style, etc. 17. [Social Development]: The extent and quality of relationships with others and feelings about self, stems from observations and self-reports 18. [Physical Development]: the physical ability/limitation of the student 19. [Management Needs]: The nature and degree of environmental changes or other resources are needed to enable the student to learn. This must be developed in consideration of the other components. 20. [Effect of Student Needs on Involvement and Progress in the General Education Curriculum]: How the student's disability affects involvement and progress in a general education environment. Describe the effect of the student's specific disability as it relates to instructional content, methods, assessments, and physical environment 21. [Student Needs Relating to Special Factors]: (Pg 57) If a student requires a device or service for educational benefit due to: behavior issues, multilingual restrictions, blindness, deafness, assistive technology for other purposes. 7. ** Beginning when the student is age 14 (and at a younger age, if determined appropriate) and updated annually, the IEP team [must] consider (Pg 57):** **\ ** - Postsecondary goals derived from age-appropriate assessments and the student's interests they include: 29. Education/Training -- trajectory (i.e. college) 30. Employment goals 31. Independent living skills (where applicable) - (Pg 58) -- these must be determined *before* proscribing special education programs, the programs must work towards these goals 8. **To be eligible to participate in an alternate assessment program, a student [must]: (Pg 70)** **\ ** - Have a Severe cognitive disability with deficits in communication/language and adaptive behavior - require a highly specialized educational program that facilitates the acquisition, application, and transfer of skills across natural environments (i.e., home, school, community, and/or workplace) - Needs educational support systems: assistive tech., personal care, health/medical, behavioral intervention 9. **What is an The Impartial Hearing (Pg 118)?** **\ ** - A due process right afforded to parents by law. The parent may request an impartial hearing with respect to the identification, placement, evaluation, classification, and appropriateness or timeliness of a recommended program. - It begins with arbitration and moves on to court if it cannot be resolved 10. **What students are eligible for the Safety Net Option (pg 122)?** **\ ** - The Safety Net Option allows flexibility for students to earn a local diploma who won't pass the requirements for an advanced Regents or Regents diploma available to: 32. Students with an IEP 33. Students declassified in grades 8-12 whose last IEP specifying safety net eligibility 34. Students with a Section 504 Plan specifying Safety Net eligibility 11. **When must an MDR be conducted? (Pg 108)** **\ ** - A Manifestation Determination Review must be conducted for any student with an IEP, 504 plan, or with a disability under IDEA subject to disciplinary change of placement (expulsion, class change, etc.) to ensure a student with disabilities is not disciplined for behavior that originates from their disability. - Students without an IEP with known disability is owed the same process - Note: students with disabilities cannot be removed from their classroom except as a result of a teacher removal, principal's suspension or superintendent's suspension. 12. **A disciplinary change of placement occurs if a student with a disability is removed from his/her current education program under what situation? (Pg 108)** **\ ** - If a student is removed from the education program for more than 10 consecutive days due to superintendent's suspension (one event) - Is removed for more than 10 cumulative school days in a year as a result of multiple disciplinary removals. - All information must be entered into SOHO at the time a decision regarding discipline is made. 13. **The MDR Team must identify each document present at the meeting.\"Any document relevant to the MDR discussion must be present and reviewed by the MDR team. [At a minimum,] this must include:\" (Pg 112)** **\ ** - IEP/504 Plan - FBA (if there is one) - BIP (if there is one) - Teacher Anecdotes - The OORS (Online Occurrence Reporting System) report for all related incidents - Relevant evaluations (if any) - Information from parents 14. **A student [must ]be considered for Extended School Year if he/she: (Pg 75)** **\ ** - Has severe multiple disabilities and needs habilitation and treatment - Needs a residential program - Receives or is recommended for home/hospital instruction - Has intensive management needs requiring a high level of individualized attention and intervention (includes placement or consideration for a special class) - The disability requires 12-month spec. ed. to prevent substantial regression