An IEP meeting is important for the well-being and educational development of the affected children. It is for this reason that the Individual with Disabilities Education Act identifies the IEP meeting as being very important. There are specific guidelines and checklists that defines how these meetings need to be conducted. The paper aims to look at IEP meeting requirements, including the people in attendance and the ethical and professional guidelines that promote the progression of these meetings.
IEP Team members
The IDE Act provides a clear guideline on the people that are expected to be in attendance during the IEP meetings. This section of the paper will identify the individuals that are identified by the Act as being present during the IEP meetings. One of the members is a teacher, and there may be more than one teacher allowed in the meeting. The second one is a special education teacher. This member is important because of their professional understanding of the special needs of the learners. A parent or parents to the learners are also a part of the team because the matters in discussion affect their children. An occupational therapist is another member required in the meeting owing to their needed services by the teachers. A psychologist is also in the list of the member, but they may be replaced by a Counselor. A speech pathologist and an administrator are the last two members that are approved by the IDE Act to be members of the IEP team (Hammond & Ingalls, 2017). Occasionally, students and student advocates may be allowed in these meetings. It is worth noting, however, that it is not a must for them to be present or the meeting to progress.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
CEC Ethical Principles and Professional Practice Standards
The practice of a special needs educator and that of a general educator are directed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Ethics and Professional Standards. This manual provides a guideline of the ethical expectations that educators must adhere to in order to ensure that they not only meet the needs of the learners but also create a learning environment both for them and the learners. Respecting the diverse characteristics and needs of the students and their families is the main pillar for the ethical guidelines. More to this is that these ethical guidelines shape the educators to focuses towards focusing on quality outcomes, and adoption of meaningful inclusion in their delivery of skills and knowledge for these learners. CEC ethical guidelines also advocate for integrity and competency when it comes to educating these students, and through this, quality outcomes will be attained while at the same time ensuring that these learners do not end up feeling out of place. These ethical guidelines also put the learners at the center of ensuring that the learning environment is suitable to the learners and them through advocating for professional resources that aid them in delivering quality education (CEC, 2019). The practice standards are provided in five main categories. These standards define how educators should interact with people, including among themselves when it comes to delivering knowledge to the children. One area is on teaching and assessment where they are supposed to maintain quality outcomes. When seeking employment or even promotion, they are expected to have the required and recognized professional credentials. Upon getting employed, that should not be enough; they need to progress more towards professional development in the feature to enhance their competency. As they work in their respective areas, they need to interact with their colleagues professionally in a bid to create a conducive working environment for each other. Lastly, they need to treat and interact with the parents and families of their students in a respectable and professional manner (CEC, 2019).
Ethical, Legal and Policy Responsibilities towards Educational Development and Medical Services
The educator has ethical, legal, and policy responsibilities towards the learners and their families. The ethical requirements start with the treatment of the children and their parents with dignity and respect. The educator is not supposed to treat any of the children different because of their conditions. More to this is that the language used, the learning environment created and the attitudes towards the children should not be such that it makes the learner or their parent (family) feel indifferent (IDE Act, n.d). The children and their families need to be allowed to enjoy all their rights and freedoms, including the right to the resources available for their learning. More to this, it is the rights of these children to be provided with the needed medical aids (equipment) that will help them have a conducive learning environment (IDE Act, n.d). Based on the policies of the organization, an educator is expected to liaise with the management of the organization to ensure that there are adequate facilities and resources for the delivery of quality educational outcomes. More to this, the learner should ensure that these resources are distributed equally among the learners (IDE Act, n.d).
Helpful Skills from the IEP Checklist
One of the skills that are vital from the provided checklist is on engaging other people in the delivery of education. In as much as the educator is the last person who will be providing skills and education to the learners, other people including administrators, parents and other team members play a crucial role in the delivery of education. Therefore, involving them aids in creating a conducive working environment. More to this is on organizational skills. From the checklist, there is the organization and coordination of the meeting. Each activity (including the participants) is confirmed 30 days before the meeting, such planning and organization aids in making work easy and successful for an educator.
References
CEC. (2019). Ethical Principles and Professional Practice Standards for Special Educators. Council for Exceptional Children. Retrieved from: https://www.cec.sped.org/Standards/Ethical-Principles-and-Practice-Standards Hammond, H., & Ingalls, L. (2017). Let's Get Parents Ready for Their Initial IEP Meeting. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 31, 43. IDE Act. (n.d). Related Services. Retrieved from: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.34
