Back-to-School Collaboration: How your In-home ABA Team Can Enhance the IEP Process
August 17, 2023
Summer is coming to an end, and soon a new school year will begin. As children move in with new teachers it’s important to work with your Board Certified Behavior Analyst to construct an educational plan that fits your child’s needs.
New school? Schedule an IEP meeting
If your child is attending a new school, be sure to schedule an IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting before school begins. Together, you and your child’s team of teachers and therapists can set goals for your child to work on throughout the year.
Teachers often ask parents to complete a survey about their child’s learning style, strengths, weaknesses, possible sensory issues, and more. Feel free to share any personal information that can help teachers and school staff get to know your child and their needs better.
If your child already has a behavior plan that has been working, ask that it be implemented immediately at the beginning of the school year. And if your child struggles with sensory overload, make sure that whatever item provides them comfort will be on hand, especially during the first few weeks.
BCBA Role in an Individualized Educational Plan
It’s that time of year again where we are preparing for back-to-school! As we approach the school year it’s important to know the role of your in-home ABA team in the IEP process. Because we work so closely with your child and family, your BCBA can add valuable information to your school team through collaboration. Some information the BCBA can provide to the school and during an IEP meeting include:
- Report on what services are currently being provided at home.
- Share data on goals that are currently being targeted at home for intervention and have been identified as a priority for the family.
- Data on goals that have moved to generalization phase and will require additional support to potentially generalize at school.
- Share data on goals that have been mastered and are currently being targeted for maintenance.
- Interventions that have been successful for the child and family at home and in the community.
- Sharing current behavior intervention plan to address current needs similarly across environments.
- Report on current data on behaviors being targeted for reduction, if any.
Your in-home ABA team and school team can provide each other with valuable information to target behaviors across various environments. Collaboration is a great way to start the school year off!
Written by: Cassandra Nascimento, BCBA/Regional Director
