Formed Families Forward is the family partner to the Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports project, an initiative of the Virginia Department of Education, and supports divisions and schools in their efforts to engage families and community partners. Formed Families Forward is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting foster, kinship, and adoptive families of children and… Read More Formed Families Forward
Assistive Technology (AT) Tools in Schools Booklet
Assistive Technology is designed to help students with special needs, to increase, maintain, or improve their functional capabilities. It should be considered for all students with an IEP. The VDOE’s Assistive Technology Network provides a guide to assist educators and families in understanding assistive technology (AT) and discussing possible AT Tools for students from preschool… Read More Assistive Technology (AT) Tools in Schools Booklet
How to Make Student-Led IEPs a Reality
Students should never be mere spectators during the IEP process. As educators, we must work to address any barriers that limit a student’s voice from being at the forefront. (Biegun, Peterson, McNaught, & Sutterfield, 2020). When some of us hear the term student-led IEP, we might envision a student sitting at the head of the… Read More How to Make Student-Led IEPs a Reality
Organizing Data for IEP Development
As we enter IEP season, summarizing a year’s worth of data from multiple sources for each child’s present level of performance can feel daunting. It does, however, offer a key opportunity to utilize the Child Outcome Summary (COS) process as an efficient method of organizing and reviewing data on child progress. While COS forms are… Read More Organizing Data for IEP Development
Considering AT? More Than a Checkbox!
The Virginia Assistive Technology website features Consideration of Assistive Technology in the IEP, a guidance document that contains forms, and resources to assist IEP teams with the decision making process. Research Consideration of assistive technology devices and services is an important factor in the lives of students with disabilities. The IDEA(1997) and the IDEIA(2004)… Read More Considering AT? More Than a Checkbox!
For Future Reference: Writing Standards-Based IEPs in Preschool
Incorporating these standards into each child’s IEP poses new challenges for educators who are more accustomed to writing goals on basic developmental skills. However, standards-based IEPs become a necessity when we consider that a primary goal for early education is school readiness. In 2007, the Virginia Department of Education released the Foundation Blocks for… Read More For Future Reference: Writing Standards-Based IEPs in Preschool
Evidence-based Practice and Assistive Technology
After implementation of accommodations and modifications, the ongoing collection of data and analysis is necessary to determine the suitability of the technology. Research Assistive Technology is a relatively new phrase first coined in 1982 by John Williams who wrote an article for the Washington Post describing a talking terminal (FCTD, 2008). Being in the infancy… Read More Evidence-based Practice and Assistive Technology
