Parents Don’t Have Time

I have a child with special needs who has had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) since she started school. She’s now a teenager, and I’m fairly well-versed in the ins and outs of the IEP process and some of the applicable laws. This knowledge has grown gradually over many years when I have had the time.

The process and terminology can be confusing when first thrust upon you. It is in the child’s best interest to learn about the process so that you and your child can adequately advocate for their education. When I was learning, it was mostly by word of mouth and through the school system (which doesn’t always show you the whole picture). I did sporadic Google searches to fill in the gaps, but it was a laborious process.

I wish I had the tools available now to help with that search.

Perplexity AI: The Parental Research Assistant

My new favorite research assistant is Perplexity.AI. This AI-powered search engine combines internet searches with the power of generative AI to produce some very powerful results. As you’ll see below, what would have taken me many hours or days of research in the past (consisting of multiple browser tabs, reading articles, manually compiling information, etc.) can be accomplished in about 15 minutes by chatting with Perplexity.

What is an IEP?

I start with a fundamental question. What is an IEP? Perplexity gives a thorough response.

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written statement that is developed for each child with a disability who is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution. It is designed to ensure that the child receives specialized instruction and related services to help them succeed in school[1][2]. The IEP is developed by a team that includes individuals from various educational disciplines, the child with a disability, family members, and/or designated advocates[1].

The IEP typically includes:

• The child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance.
• Measurable annual goals and objectives for the child’s education.
• A description of the special education and related services the child will receive.
• The extent to which the child will participate in the general education curriculum and in extracurricular activities.
• Individualized accommodations necessary for the child to be successful.
• Transition services for students aged 16 or older, including postsecondary goals and the services needed to achieve them[1][2][3].

The IEP process is governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates that eligible children receive a free appropriate public education[2]. The IEP is not just a legal document but a map that outlines the program of special education instruction, supports, and services a student needs to make progress and thrive in school[2].

Citations: [1] https://www.washington.edu/accesscomputing/what-individualized-education-plan [2] https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-an-iep [3] https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.320 [4] https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-is-an-iep-individualized-education-programs-explained/2023/07 [5] https://www2.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html [6] https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/iep.html [7] https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/fba-bip-part-1-definition-iep [8] https://www.washington.edu/accesscomputing/what-difference-between-iep-and-504-plan

From here, I can dig in deeper by asking a question like “What are the key terms associated with an IEP?” I won’t list the response here, but Perplexity will give a similar response listing key terms.

Where Can I Find Out State-Specific Information on IEPs?

Much of the IEP process depends on your state and school district. Suppose I wanted to take a key term like Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and see what my state says about LRE. In that case, I can narrow my question to a specific domain.

For example, after narrowing my topic to LRE through questioning in Virginia, I might ask, “Where is this information located on doe.virginia.gov?” This will give me similar results with sources.

If I want to look at the Virginia State Laws that mention LRE, I can ask, “Where is this information listed on law.lis.virginia.gov?”

Finding Help about IEPs on LinkedIn

After I’ve compiled information on LRE, I can ask, “Who is talking about this information on linkedin.com?” An example output might be:

Based on the provided LinkedIn posts, several people are discussing the concept of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in special education:

1. Jeffrey Forte, a special education lawyer, explains what LRE means under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and provides examples of different levels of LRE placements in his post[1].

2. Nagla Moussa, an educator, discusses how LRE can be interpreted differently based on a student’s individual needs and disabilities[2].

3. A special education consultant emphasizes that LRE is not a physical place but a principle of including students with disabilities in the general education environment to the maximum extent appropriate[3].

4. The Mighty Rights Press highlights that LRE requires schools to integrate students with disabilities in general education classrooms as much as possible[4].

5. Ballou Education LLC explores how LRE in an IEP affects inclusion, going beyond just physical spaces[5].

6. John R. Van Plantinga Jr. suggests that LRE starts by allowing students with disabilities to independently engage in routines where they can learn alongside their peers[6].

7. Thomas Vaccaro outlines the principles behind LRE as part of navigating special education compliance[7].

8. Tara Mohundro emphasizes that placement in the LRE should be individualized for each child to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) [8].

These posts highlight the importance of LRE in ensuring students with disabilities are educated alongside their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, while also recognizing that LRE implementation should be individualized based on each student’s unique needs and disabilities.

Citations: [1] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-least-restrictive-environment-mean-jeffrey-forte [2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/least-restrictive-environment-what-does-mean-nagla-moussa [3] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/least-restrictive-environment-place-special-education-consultant [4] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/education-spotlight-least-restrictive-environment-mighty-rights-press [5] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ballou-education-llc_what-is-the-least-restrictive-environment-activity-7131008212727709696-Dzxg [6] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lre-opportunity-special-education-john-r-van-jr-van-plantinga-jr--u47oc?trk=articles_directory [7] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-landscape-special-education-compliance-thomas-vaccaro-lxqsc?trk=public_post_main-feed-card_feed-article-content [8] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/placement-lre-tara-mohundro

Formatting Your Sources

Finally, suppose I wanted to format any of this information neatly. In that case, I can ask Perplexity to create a table that looks something like this one for Virginia Law Sources:

Perplexity Output

If you’d like to see the output of this IEP search journey, you can follow the link to the Perplexity results.

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Photo by Agence Olloweb on Unsplash

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