Living - and studying - with an IEP
This story was published in MindSite News on October 11, 2024.
By: Hannah Henderson
Youthcast Media Group®
I have a learning difference. It’s no secret. Living with it is hard, but my IEP makes it easier for me.
It stands for Individualized Education Plan. As the name suggests, each one is different, depending on a student’s needs.
For instance, I have what’s called a Flash Pass, which allows me to leave class and see my counselor when the need arises. Or I can use it to take breaks in the hallway for a few minutes if I need that. I also get to take my tests on a laptop rather than on paper.
Christina Ferrari is my counselor. She is a licensed clinical social worker at Annandale High School, where I go to school. I asked her to explain to me precisely what an IEP is and does.
“It is a document that provides support for our students who are eligible for special education to support them in their academic success,” she said. “An IEP is meant to ensure that a student with an identified disability receives special instruction and related services to address their educational needs. Hopefully, it helps the student to feel that their needs are being addressed and that they are also feeling a part of their plan.”
To that end, students and parents have meetings with school counselors to develop these individualized plans.
“Generally, in an IEP meeting, a committee including school staff, parents, and the student come together to review the student’s needs, goals, and services,” Ferrari said. “The meeting is to review all of that, and to complete the final, formal document that is reviewed every year, and is good for only that school year.”
Some students stay on IEPs until they graduate while some will no longer need them as time passes.
“If you were put on an IEP when you were young,” said Kathy Essig, founder of the Essig Education Group, “there is every chance that your brain development and your just self-awareness will help you move off of that as you get older.”
The website IEP Attorney defines IEPs as a personalized road map “designed to meet the specific educational needs of students with disabilities as defined by the 13 official categories of IEP disabilities. … The purpose of an IEP is to ensure that these students receive appropriate support, services, and accommodations in order to access and participate in their education.”
Living with an IEP makes my school life easier, helping me to utilize my tools when I need them. These tools help me to calm down when I’m having an anxiety attack. Or I can get extra time on my assignments when I’m in a depressive episode.
Things that seem minor to other kids may seem major to me; that’s why I have my IEP. It helps to keep me calm and stay in a better mood when I need my tools.
Some kids already have the tools to cope in and out of the classroom, but the IEP is my tool. And I love it.
Hannah Henderson, a former student at Annandale High School (AHS) in Northern Virginia, is now a high school junior in Helena, Montana. AHS is one of Youthcast Media Group’s journalism class partners.
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