How do I write inclusion into my child’s IEP?

Here are some ways to work with your IEP team to prioritize including your child with their peers.

• Ask for an ecological participation report by an inclusion specialist. This should be a report written by an education specialist (or a special education teacher) based on an observation of your child in a classroom setting. The inclusion expert will look at what kinds of supports and services can be added to create an environment that the child can thrive in.

• Write IEP goals with inclusion in mind. For example, when identifying goals, consider whether you can ask to rewrite the goal to include “with a same-age typical peer” as part of the activity. Encourage your IEP team to identify goals that promote interaction with other students.

• Peer support can offer many of the same benefits as an aide, so talk to your IEP team about opportunities for peer mentors and socialization goals in the IEP.

• When discussing services, ask if it’s possible for the service to be provided in the gen ed setting as push-in, meaning that it occurs in the gen ed classroom. If it has to be pull-out, ask if it’s possible to be provided outside the regular school day to minimize disruption to gen ed time. In the absence of a co-teacher or inclusion specialist, consider whether special academic instruction (SAI) could be provided as a consultation with the gen ed teacher.

• Make sure your child is receiving the accommodations they need to be successful in a gen ed classroom. Team members can have consult time written as an IEP service — e.g., “Inclusion Support.” You can also suggest regular team meetings, not formal IEPs, and let them know you don’t have to be there (but would love to). Let the team know that the TIES Center has a great template that teams can use to collaborate on implementing IEP goals in a variety of settings.

• Advocate for your IEP team members to have dedicated collaboration time. Team members can have consult time written as an IEP service — e.g., “Inclusion Support.” You can also suggest regular team meetings, not formal IEPs, and let them know you don’t have to be there (but would love to). Let the team know that the TIES Center has a great template that teams can use to collaborate on implementing IEP goals in a variety of settings.

For more information about inclusion in education, check out our articles Inclusion 101 and What to Do When “Inclusion” Isn’t Working.