Why Special Educators Need Shared IEP Goals with Related Services

I’m excited to introduce this week’s guest blogger, Rachelle Sikes from Sikes Spedtacular Students to talk all about why special educators need to have shared IEP goals with related service members!

As a special educator, you may get an opportunity to share an IEP goal with your related service staff: Speech/Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, and Social Worker.

Dealing with staff shortages and aren’t sure how to collaborate? Click here to read more.

This could be sharing an entire goal, or splitting it up by objectives (i.e. exhibiting the skill(s) in a therapy session and in the classroom setting). Shared IEP goals with related service members can help make your job so much easier!

If you are planning on sharing a goal, it is important that you collaborate prior to the IEP meeting so that you both know exactly how it’s going to work.

How do you write the shared IEP goal?

You should ask yourself, will you both be focusing on the entire goal? Are you breaking up objectives by therapy setting and classroom environment? The goal needs to be written clearly to explain how you both will share responsibility for this goal. 

What skill the student is working on – Make sure that the skill you both are observing makes sense (i.e. cutting, tying shoes, remaining on task, etc.).

Data Collection

How will you both collect data? It’s important that you both are collecting data in the same way by using the same tools. That way you won’t have data discrepancy! How often will data be collected? Daily? Once a week? What data collection methods are being used? Trials? Percent Accuracy? What data collection tool will be used? How will you measure progress? Will you be averaging from both your data? Reporting on certain objectives? 

These are all so important questions to ask when planning the shared IEP goal with a related staff member. You want to make sure you are able to share the responsibility.

Shared IEP goals with related service staff has so many benefits. You get an amazing opportunity to work with your fellow special education staff. Share ideas on how to best meet student needs. You will also be able to double team working on the same skill(s), making the student double successful! If you get a chance, work on goals together!

If you want to know more about how to work with your administration, click here!

Instagram | TeachersPayTeachers | Facebook | Boom Learning Library | Pinterest  | Youtube