Being detail oriented. His strong communication skills have also earned him the friendship and respect of his peers, many of whom look to K as a class leader. Both of these questions lead to academic and behavioral success in the classroom. One of the fundamental components of an IEP, a present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement summarizes the students current levels of functioning. It is also common to pick a weakness that is minor or that signals a strength. Real-World Learning is Prioritized. If not, you and your childs case manager can look for a free strengths assessment online. When a students first IEP is developed, much of the information needed for the PLAAFP is collected in the initial assessment. He is reluctant to show that he needs to use them, his teacher is working on letting him know that it is ok to use other sources, to help him solve problems. As the name implies, the educational program should be tailored to the individual student to provide the maximum benefit. Jeremiah is reading at grade level and has good comprehension. Cules son tus puntos fuertes y tus debilidades? This weakness often undermines the reading and thinking process. The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written document that outlines a child's education. Strengths-based ieps allow teachers and parents to identify student strengths and use them as a tool for success. Difficulty when silent reading, needs to mouth words or whisper when reading . Sample IEP Goal:By the end of the IEP period, when given a grade-level nonfiction passage, the student will identify the main idea and provide at least three details related to the main idea with 90% accuracy in three out of four trials. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Creative thinking abilities. Concerns/Needs: Chris needs to improve reading skills in fluency and comprehension. Discipline 5. Determining patterns of reading difficulties The three types of difficulties mentioned in the preceding section involve underlying patterns of strengths and weaknesses in specific language and reading abilities, sometimes termed components of reading (Aaron et al., 2008; Hoover & Gough, 1990). Remember your input is critical for helping your childs school develop a full understanding of how your child learns. But all IEP goals for reading share some common features: Below are sample IEP goals associated with six reading skills. For example, student strengths such as "spontaneous" and "good listener" may not be as effective for student success goals because they are broad student strengths. Grab your notebook, look at your childs strengths, and consider her struggles. Linda has passed her MBST requirements. He matches objects and pictures. Sing Your Way to Sight Word Success: Free Song for Teaching 'A,' and 'Is. Current testing/evaluation results in general terms such as below average/average/above average. K is currently reading 54 words correct per minute (wpm) on a 2nd-grade reading probe, which is slightly higher than the 2nd-grade fall benchmark of 50 wpm. What are your Child's Strengths? And you can advocate for more teacher training in strengths-based IEPs at your childs school or in your local district. Elementary School: Academic Functioning Strengths/Current Status: Chris scored in the below average range in reading when re-evaluated in October. Chris needs to increase written language skills in the area of spelling and needs to expand his written language skills beyond simple sentences to paragraph writing. He seems to be enjoying the classes and is willing to do an activity when asked by the teacher. You can look at these typical IEP goals for reading to get a sense of what your childs goals may look like. Academic strengths are talents, character traits, knowledge and experiences that allow an individual to thrive in a learning environment.These are mostly related to study, technology, time management, social, communication and language skills. Present Levels of Academic Achievement & Functional Performance (PLAAFPs) He has a strong reading vocabulary [strength]. IEP goals should reflect state academic standards, and they should be SMART and strengths-based. Keep it basic and straightforward, but be truthful in your choice. Johnny also loves completing hands-on projects in the classroom and at home. His reading and writing standardized test scores are in the above average range, but his classroom performance varies greatly. It is important to document a strength and interest-based learning approach in the student's IEP. Strengths-based IEPs aim to start with a strength for each of the skill sets discussed in this section. You don't have to devote half the interview to these answers. And, focusing on and cultivating your child's strengths will help build self-esteem. From student work habits (work independently) to academics (reading comprehension), every area of a child's development can be highlighted using this easy to use, step-by-step guide. So take your time in writing the PLAAFP, or present levels statement. (general) a. &. Helping students identify and leverage their strengths, interests and preferences can lead to more self-awareness and self-advocacy. Strengths tests and self-assessments can help deepen the discussion about strengths. Student Strength Statements for IEP | Iep, Student, Sped teacher May 21, 2017 - 4 million free and priced teaching resources created by teachers for instant download including lesson plans, interactive notebooks, unit plans, novel studies, worksheets, printables, quizzes, task cards, math centers, projects and more. Be thorough. Honesty. Strong Communication Skills and Interpersonal Skills. needs speech services) Forgetting to discuss progress on IEP goals Having vague statements that do not describe the child Remember- a teacher who has not met the student should be able to plan for the child after reading the IEP if the PLAAFP and Needs are well written! Youll also be better able to see what services will support your child in his learning. Two times out of three, the student must back up those inferences with evidence, with at least 80 percent accuracy. ECSE: For students Birth to three the IEP must address Physical/Motor Development; Basic Senses including Hearing and Vision; Self-Help Skills; Academic Performance/Cognitive Development/ Intellectual Functioning; Social/Emotional/ Behavioral Development; Communication and Current Health and Medical Status. Even if the student strengths seem silly or out of place, they may be meaningful for some students. Her math reasoning scores are at the 18th percentile. This information is important to Her standardized scores for math computation are at the 12th percentile. Weaknesses must not be looked at with resentment. This student strength list is a tool for you to use when creating student success goals that the student can accomplish. By having a lot of ideas, I could easily understand the reading's topic and I have a lot to write on. Patience. Physical abilities (fatigue, sensory issues, etc.). It is difficult for him to start, remain, and finish a (non-preferred) activity. You can look at these typical IEP goals for reading to get a sense of what your child's goals may look like. Something that often takes many hits for a child with learning and attention issues. In the school setting, this usually means the child's IEP goals would be written only to focus on improving the weak skills such as spelling or written expression. Project management. Engaging and Exciting. The second introduces the connection between the PLAAFP statements and the annual goals, with examples. 1. She has not had goals in this area during the past year. The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37203 [emailprotected] The IRIS Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant #H325E220001. (oi, er, ow, ar, ew). That same day, my younger son came up to me with two baby blankets, one in each hand, and said, "Look, mommy! This is when the team discusses a students strengths, interests and preferences. He continues to need to increase his ability to stay on task despite distractions. Academic Standard:Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. A strengths-based IEP looks at abilities as well as weaknesses. If he can get up and move around, then he is able to complete his work. & ' ( , R S | - 3 O P Z ^ ` a vkb h h CJ h h CJ aJ h >*CJ aJ h >*CJ aJ h h CJ aJ h=33 h CJ aJ h 6CJ aJ h CJ aJ h h 6CJ aJ h h CJ aJ h h >*CJ aJ h h >*CJ aJ h h 5CJ aJ h=33 5CJ aJ h h=33 5CJ aJ % A y z ' ( R S O P r s n o # c , 4 ? Progress in the general education curriculum? The key word is individual. Some examples of strengths commonly associated with autism are: Specialist knowledge in topics of interest. These observational checklists will help you determine where your child's/student's strengths and weaknesses are. Pertinent comments by parents and teachers Comments that could lead to classroom modification/adaptations Progress on goals and objectives as well as any other changes since the last IEP Common Mistakes Including eligibility or placement statements Using jargon or vocabulary that is not easily understood Identifying a need for a service (i.e. Jenny actively participates in class discussions and engages well in peer-to-peer workgroups. In the meantime, you dont have to wait for your childs school to change its IEP template. Because differences are our greatest strength. When Writing your childs Present Level of Performance (PLOP), begin with your childs Can Do abilities. Theres a lot you can do right now. Can his strengths enable better learning by using alternative teaching methods? She has been employed there for four months approximately 15 hours per week. As a result, he is unwilling to utilize text-to-speech technologies on his tablet, even with headphones, or partner with a peer reader. IEP Sample: Specific Learning Disability. 3) Strengths or weaknesses observed but not listed can be written in as comments/notes. Aidan will complete his science lab reports on time and with 85% accuracy in three out of four consecutive assignments. Strengths are covered at the beginning of the meeting, and the rest of the time is focused on deficits. Involving students in IEP meetings can help the team think about ways to develop strengths and work on weaknesses. This weakness causes individuals to get only "parts" of information that they read or hear, but not the whole. Academic strengths are traits and skills that serve students as a strong foundation to excel academically. Critical Thinking 7. This information can be compared to data collected after the change has been implemented to evaluate student progress. Sample IEP Goal:By the end of the IEP period, when given a list of 40 multisyllabic words containing closed, open, consonant-vowel-e, and vowel team syllable types, the student will be able to decode 36/40 words correctly as measured by teacher records. Too often, IEP teams discuss a students strengths by saying things like What I like about Elana is And these kinds of comments can be hard to connect to the rest of the IEP in actionable ways. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 3. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) Statements. Make sure to include a range of strengths, including knowledge-based skills, transferable skills, soft skills and personal traits to demonstrate your versatility. This category can encompass any type of team or . Wanting to control too many aspects of a situation. A student with weaknesses in visual, spatial, or sequential aspects of math may. Well email you our most helpful stories and resources. Method: A measure of word recognition, the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), was administered by telephone to a representative population sample of 3,909 same-sex and opposite-sex pairs of 7-year-old twins. Copyright 2014-2023 Understood For All Inc. hands-on activity to help identify your childs strengths, questions about having your child attend IEP meetings, Working With Schools online community group. Sara struggles with math. She does better when she is provided a number-line or calculator. The class is currently working on place value and will be moving into, adding money and making change, telling time, reading and creating simple graphs and some simple measurement to the 1/2 inch. To add to our list of overused-but-handy phrases: Think quality, not quantity. Give students a leadership role in IEP meetings. Thus, if the statement describes a problem with the childs reading level and points to a deficiency in reading skills, the problem should be addressed under both goals and specific special education and related services provided to the child. 4. Although she does have a savings account, she does not have a checking account. She consistently shows good work habits but does not do well in remembering assignments and pacing herself in extended assignments. That way, you can write the best PLOP statement possible. Steven currently participates in a Resource Independent Living Math class. When you have a structure to help you, developing a student strength statement and weaknesses statement is not difficult. Creative thinking skills. IEP goals are built around what the student can do and how the team can use those abilities. Doesn't enjoy . This can describe how peers perceive them or how they interact with the learning environment as a whole. You can also learn more about how to develop SMART IEP goals, and then help steer the IEP team to include strengths in at least a few of your childs goals. He takes a long time to solve problems and counts up and down to complete the task, not demonstrating an automatic recall of facts. Current (recently completed) evaluation/test information should be included. Understood does not provide medical or other professional advice. Wherever possible, use actual data, such as Standardized test Scores or percentile rankings. Her writing composite is at the 69th percentile. Be certain to consider your childs: She has good attendance and punctuality. His broad reading scores on standardized tests are: A number that compares the students performance to a typical student performance at a particular grade level. # + [ + R [ [ @ R R R F [ [ ) R ) R R V % @ [ [ %p,Q o : e $ V 0 q x x$ R x$ R [ ! The addition of functional performancenonacademic skills necessary for independent living (e.g., behavior, social skills, communication, independent living skills, and mobility)reflects an awareness that students with disabilities require more than academic supports if they are to meet their individual goals for long-term success. When thinking of your child, consider all aspectsyour childs development. Procrastination. A candid answer will show your prospective employer your growth-mindset and will demonstrate a sense of self-awareness and honesty," writes Jeevan Balani, Founder and CEO of Rocket Interview and frequent Glassdoor contributor. Having students actively participate in parts of the IEP meeting can help in many ways. There should be a direct relationship between the present levels of performance and the other components of the IEP. Growth Mindset Examples of Student Weaknesses 1. Also mention any ability your child has, because those skills can be the keys for teaching your child. He follows the class discussion with para assistance to complete many of the assignments. Using measurement tests is common in IEP goals for reading. Three times out of four, the student needs to be able to correctly identify the main idea plus three details that support the main idea. The main areas of concern (e.g., academic, functional) and how do these concerns relate to district or state standards and benchmarks and the students postsecondary interests? He recognizes many body parts and can identify many common animals such as cow, pig, duck, etc. In this interview, Tamara McLean shares how personnel at her school collaborate to collect the information and draft PLAAFP statements (time: 1:06). I hope that this student strengths for iep examples guide has been helpful. Check out this guide to see the top 13 student strengths and student weaknesses contributing to academic success! 50 Examples of Strengths and Weaknesses for a Job Interview [List] That's why we have decided to give you something more: Every strength and weakness comes with a brief explanation clarifying the meaning of the term. Four times out of five, the child must correctly determine the meaning of at least 80 percent of the words or phrases. We believe that adopting strength-based IEP writing practices is vital to reconstructing students with disabilities as capable contributors to their inclusive classrooms. . This deficiency goes to the heart of the IEP; the childs level of academic achievement and functional performance is the foundation on which the IEP must be built. Does she prefer to work in groups? In a typical IEP meeting, not much time is given to looking at a childs strengths. He correctly capitalizes and uses appropriate ending punctuation. 20 Examples of Academic Strengths. Student Strengths and Weaknesses: List and 13 Examples for Students | My Strengths and Weaknesses Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Concerns/Needs section: Educational needs are identified as a result of both formal and informal evaluation. The class has been working on literal and inferential reading comprehension skills, vocabulary acquisition, reading strategies, spelling, and the mechanics of sentence and paragraph writing. Concerns/Needs: Linda is a good worker, yet still needs reminders to keep her on task. National Association of Special Education Teachers NASET | Completed Sample IEP 4 2-Social Development: Describe the quality of the student's relationships with peers and adults, feelings about self, social adjustment to school and community environment and behaviors that may impede This student strength list can also be used during the development of student transition goals. Know how to present these employee strengths and weaknesses in the best way when answering interview questions. Different kids can struggle with different skills related to reading like decoding, comprehension,orfluency.