The Education for Persons with
Special Educational Needs Act
2004
and
Individual Educational Planning
Education for Persons with Special
Educational Needs Act 2004
• The National Council for Special
Education
• The inclusion of children with special
educational needs
Definition of special educational
needs
‘Special educational needs’ means, in
relation to a person, a restriction in the
capacity of the person to participate in and
benefit from education on account of an
enduring physical, sensory, mental health
or learning disability, or any other condition
which results in a person learning
differently from a person without that
condition and cognate words shall be
construed accordingly. (section 1)
Section 3
• The school must make all practical efforts
to assist a child who is not benefiting from
the regular educational programme
• The principal can arrange an assessment
if there is concern about special
educational needs
• If the child is found to have special
educational needs, an education plan
must be prepared within one month
Section 3 Education Plan
• The Council will set down guidelines for
educational plans
• For the time being, schools are expected
to comply with the guidance in section 9
(3)
• Parents must be consulted in the planning
process
• Parents must get a copy of the plan
Section 3
• The school can request the Council to
prepare the education plan (a section 8
educational plan)
• The Council may refuse
• Any dispute would then be referred to the
Appeals Board
Section 8 Education Plans
• Children with more complex needs,
perhaps requiring multi-disciplinary input
• Also covers pre-school children
• More formal planning processes
The SENO will ‘cause to be prepared a plan
for the appropriate education of the child’
Section 8 (1)
Section 8 Education plans
• SENO convenes a ‘team’ of people
• The team will include the school principal and
the parents of the child
• The team may also include the child, a
psychologist and/or a professional person
nominated by the parents
• Child’s parents must be included in team
• Education plan must address ‘educational
needs’ and ‘any other needs identified in the
child’s assessment’.
Section 9
The Content of Education Plans
(both section 3 and section 8 plans)
• The nature and degree of the child’s
abilities, skills and talents
• The nature and degree of the child’s
special educational needs and how those
needs affect his/her progress
• The present level of educational
performance of the child
• The special educational needs of the child
Content of Education Plans cont.
• The special education and related support
services to be provided to the child
• The special education and related support
services for effective transition from preschool to primary and from primary to post
primary school
• The goals which the child is to achieve
over a period not exceeding 12 months
Section 9 Education Plans cont.
• Schools are obliged to implement an
education plan and will be provided with
the resources to do this
• The National Council may prepare
guidelines with respect to the matters to
be provided in an education plan
Section 11- Reviews
• Plans must be reviewed regularly (at least
once per year)
• Schools must carry out reviews
• Schools must report on reviews to parents
• Schools must report on reviews to the
SENO
• SENO may reconvene team to review plan
and amend it
• Parents can request a review
What is an IEP ?
• An individual educational plan
• Both a process and a product
An IEP is…
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Special
Individualised
Has a shelf life of one year (max)
Specifies targets and goals
Specifies learning outcomes
Specifies teaching methods/ strategies
Is regularly reviewed
Is shared with parents/ carers
Is shared with students
Why have an IEP?
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It makes best use of assessments
It gives focus to our work
It establishes priorities
It clarifies expectations
It engages parents
It motivates students
It documents success
It facilitates review
It provides on-going information
An IEP is a working document
Sample IEPs
• What does a really useful IEP look like?
• What should be included?
• In how much detail?
Please bear in mind that these
are ‘real world’ IEPs about real
children and prepared by real
teachers. Please discuss them in
a respectful and sensitive way.
Every effort has been made to
respect the confidentiality of the
children and their teachers.
Planning Meetings
• Identify key participants
• Have someone willing and able to chair
the meeting
• Set some kind of agenda/ format
• Involve everyone
• Encourage participants to come with some
draft targets/ strategies
• Write down key agreed actions
Agenda for Planning Meetings
• Introduce everyone (in meaningful way)
• Talk about the child’s strengths and
progress
• Talk about the areas for development
• Invite proposed targets and strategies
• Agree and fine tune targets and strategies
• Agree how the meeting will be
documented and disseminated
Planning to write an IEP
• Strengths
• Special interests and particular gifts
(The nature and degree of the child’s
abilities, skills and strengths)
• Presenting difficulties
• Expressed in precise behavioural terms
(the nature and degree of the child’s special
educational needs and how these needs
affect his/her progress)
• With baseline information
(the present level of educational
performance of the child)
Summary of Special Needs
• A summary statement that all parties
agree
(the special educational needs of the child)
• A description of the support services that
will be in place
(the special education and related support
services to be provided to the child)
Priorities/ Long term goals
• Having a sense of shared vision and
purpose
• What is the child not doing now that you
would like him/ her to be doing by the end
of the year?
Goals
• Under the terms of the Act, long term
goals, priority learning needs, targets and
strategies all come under the heading
‘goals’
(the goals which the child is to achieve over
a period not exceeding 12 months)
Further Information
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Checklist of behaviour/ learning
Curriculum based assessment
Classroom observation
Assessment by other professional (speech
& language/ psychologist)
• In-depth interview with parents / carers
Targets should be:
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Observable
Measurable
Realistic
Positive
Can you prove that a target has been
achieved?
Writing Targets
• Targets are about what the child is going
to achieve
Examples:
• Mark will learn to read 10 words on sight
(ORT), Chip, Kipper, Mum, Dad, Floppy,
Biff, wanted, looked, at, was.
• Sinead will put up her hand and wait until
asked to contribute to class discussion
Developing Strategies
• Strategies should be evidence based
• Strategies need to be reviewed regularly
(especially in behaviour management)
Strategies may
• Specify time and place
• Name the person(s) monitoring/
supporting
• Specify particular equipment/ materials
The written plan
• Should be positive
• Should focus on key areas
• Should be entirely accessible to parents and use
professional and respectful terms
• Is not written in stone and can be modified
• Should be signed and agreed by parents and a
member of staff (and child, if relevant)
• A copy should be given to parents and to local
SENO
What to do with the written
Education Plan
• Make sure relevant staff have a copy
• Parts (or all of it) can be on display as an
aide memoir
• Look at it from time to time
• Discuss it with the child and review
progress informally
• Use it to inform teaching
• Modify and annotate as needed
Reviewing
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Should actively involve child and parents
Should involve teachers and support staff
Informally, in school, as required
At least one formal review per year
Agenda for review meeting
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What progress has the child made?
Which targets have been achieved?
How successful were strategies used?
What are the next steps?
Should alternative strategies be tried?
Is a more detailed assessment needed?
Is everyone clear about what has been agreed?
Who will do what, by when?
Involving Parents
• A process of joint consultation
• Ask for their input in advance of formal
meetings
• Empower parents by making the process
clear
• Invite contributions and suggestions
• Offer less formal opportunities to talk to
more familiar staff
• Use the phone
Involving Children
• Even very young children can be made
aware of targets/ goals
• Ask children what they would like to know/
learn/ do in the coming year
• Involve children in recording their own
progress
• Have a designated person who reviews
the IEP with the child from time to time
With thanks to the children,
teachers and parents of
schools served by Mary
Nugent in the NEPS East
Coast and South East
Regions.