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It is challenging for any young adult to find work they love to do; it is especially challenging for a student with disabilities to find work that uses their talents, skills and interests. Come see what we can do for your child or young adult.
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he Monarch School of New England is a leader in its work with children and young adults with significant disabilities, ages 5 – 21. Rooted in the belief that each child deserves an environment in which to flourish, our school designs programs based on the individual needs and capabilities of each student. Students are seen for their abilities and their capacity to learn and grow. July 2017 saw the completion of our new regional high school/vocational center. This allows us to grow from 52 to 62 students — from our elementary and middle school sites to our high school. This space is both a regional high school AND a vocational center. In addition to receiving a great education, students will learn skills that will be useful to them in the workforce and various community settings.
and that’s OK, Landry said. She shares that her own first-grader has an IEP and their goal is to have him off of it by second grade. “I don’t want this to be something that follows him forever,” she said. “But if that’s what he needs, I’m OK with that.”
What is an IEP? An IEP is a plan designed by a learner’s educational team to address the individual’s unique learning needs, said Kelly Ardita, a special education teacher and case manager at Bow Memorial School. Students who have an identified educational disability and need special education are eligible for IEPs. Landry said there are still misconceptions about what constitutes a special education student. She said most often people still think of kids in wheelchairs or those who need physical help feeding themselves, for example. “But there is so much more to special ed that people are completely not aware of,” Landry said. “There are special ed kids in almost every classroom.” She said that looking at her own son, one might not suspect he had a disability. “He talks, he walks, he eats, he’s a typical kid,” she said. “And people are surprised when I do tell them that [he has an IEP]. They’re like, ‘oh, what’s wrong with him?’ Well, nothing is really ‘wrong’ with him, but I get that that is people’s first instincts. He has a learning disability, he needs some extra supports in reading and in speech, you know, and it was those things that people don’t typically don’t think of as special ed.” The team that puts the plan together typically comprises a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, the parents, the student – depending on their age – and individuals who are working to provide the student’s services, such as a speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, counselor, reading specialist etc., Ardita said. The team also usually includes a Local Education Agency. The LEA is a representative of the school district that the student attends and represents the district that is providing funding for the student and is often a school administrator. The plan itself includes a variety of information including: The student’s learning profile Consideration of special factors to be considered so the student can access their free and appropriate public education — also known as FAPE Specialized goals and objectives designed to address the student’s educational needs Accommodations and/or modifications that the student may need to best access the educational setting Special education and related services Accommodations for state and district-wide testing A determination of if a student needs extended school-year services based on their learning profile A determination of the school setting or placement of where the plan will be put in place The process includes meeting with the team to come up with a plan.
• • • • • • • • 18 www.parentingnh.com may 2018