Equitable and Inclusive IEPs for Students with Complex Support Needs: A Roadmap

Students who have the most significant support needs are at high risk for exclusion from general education. Unlock access to inclusive education for these learners with this forward-thinking book, a step-by-step guide to person-centered, strengths-based, and meaningful IEPs for K–12 students with complex support needs.

This practical text shows pre- and inservice educators how to work together thoughtfully and ethically to develop complex IEPs—documents that include many academic, functional, and social-emotional goals; require assistive technology and communication supports; and involve services from a range of providers. Through chapters that clearly correspond to the sections of the IEP document, educators will master every step of creating a complex IEP, from planning to progress monitoring. Tips and strategies, vignettes and examples, and answers to critical questions help guide educators through the whole process, and the accompanying downloads can be used by IEP teams again and again.  

A roadmap to more equitable and inclusive education for students with complex support needs, this essential IEP guidebook will help make the academic and social benefits of general education classes accessible to every learner.

DISCOVER HOW TO:

• Assemble an effective IEP team that includes families, outside service providers, and students
• Gather information from the team and use it to make data-based educational decisions
• Collaborate with families during the IEP development process and beyond
• Describe a student’s Present Levels of Functional and Academic Performance (PLAAFP) in a comprehensive, strengths-based way
• Plan for alternate assessment and other special factors relevant to student learning
• Determine curriculum areas and individual skills for IEP goals
• Choose supplementary aids and services and write them into the IEP
• Determine the least restrictive educational placement based on student needs
• Run a positive and productive IEP meeting
• Implement the IEP with fidelity and monitor student progress toward goals

PRACTICAL MATERIALS: Organize the IEP process with 15 downloads, including forms and worksheets for teachers, surveys and communication tools to use with families, and a slide deck for planning the IEP meeting. Chapters begin and end with helpful activities that guide teachers to think carefully about each IEP topic and take effective action.  

Andrea Ruppar, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1000 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 53706

Andrea Ruppar is Associate Professor of Special Education in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education at University of Wisconsin–Madison. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011. Dr. Ruppar’s research focuses on decision making among special education teachers and other professionals, especially related to students with extensive support needs.

Jennifer A. Kurth, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Her research centers on efforts to promote inclusive education for students with complex support needs, and she prepares educators to deliver high-quality, inclusive education to learners with complex support needs. Prior to working in higher education, Jennifer was an inclusion specialist for students with disabilities in both elementary and secondary schools.