Special Education: What Does IDEA Say About Functional Skills, and How Will It Help My Child?

Are you the parent of a child, receiving special education services,nthat thinks your child may benefit from functional skill training?
Would you like to know what the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) requires in relation to functional skills? Wouldnyou like parenting tips on using IDEA requirements to help your childnreceive functional skill training? This article is for you; it willndiscuss IDEA requirements, and how you can use them to advocate fornfunctional skills training for your child.

The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that all children with disabilitiesnhave available to them a free appropriate public education thatnemphasizes special education and related services designed to meetntheir unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment,nand independent living. Education is more than reading, writing, andnmath; it also includes functional skills to help children withndisabilities live a full and rewarding life.

IDEA requires each child’s IEP to contain a statement of presentnlevels of academic achievement and functional performance. Schoolnpersonnel should give you objective information (testing) each year,nabout your child’s academic and functional performance. Do not acceptnteacher subjective observations and grades (also subjective), tondetermine if your child is making academic and functional progress.
Around Christmas time ask that testing be performed in the areas ofnacademics and functional skills, in January, so that these results cannbe used at the annual IEP meeting. Also ask for copies of the testingnat least 14 days before the meeting, so that you will be able to be annequal participant in the meeting.

IDEA also requires that the IEP contains a statement of measurablenannual goals, including academic and functional goals. Since you askednfor testing at Christmas time, and hopefully have received the resultsnbefore the IEP meeting, you will have some knowledge of your child’snacademic and functional needs. Write a few academic and functionalngoals, and make sure they are measurable. In other words, how will younknow when your child has made the goal? Bring the list with you tonyour child’s IEP meeting. Share your input on annual academic andnfunctional goals with the IEP team.

By understanding what the federal law IDEA states about functionalnskills, you can use the information to ensure that your child isntested in this area, and has annual goals developed for their IEP, ifnneeded. Functional skills will help your child become as independentnas possible as an adult, and live a more fulfilled life!