Academic Weaknesses. The class has been working on literal and inferential reading comprehension skills, vocabulary acquisition, reading strategies, spelling, and the mechanics of sentence and paragraph writing. Linda needs to learn the aspects of budgeting and managing a checkbook. Strengths vary widely from student to student. needs speech services) Forgetting to discuss progress on IEP goals Having vague statements that do not describe the child Remember- a teacher who has not met the student should be able to plan for the child after reading the IEP if the PLAAFP and Needs are well written! The teacher can use this form to assess what the child's strengths and deficits are during social behaviors during the school day. The main areas of concern (e.g., academic, functional) and how do these concerns relate to district or state standards and benchmarks and the students postsecondary interests? PDF Listing Student Strengths And Weaknesses For Iep Sam will use his creativity and interpersonal skills to develop and lead his peers in a class vocabulary game with 90% accuracy in three out of four weekly opportunities. She has been employed there for four months approximately 15 hours per week. It also takes Sara more than an hour to complete one worksheet. Success-oriented natural leader. He often is the first student to raise a hand at the beginning of class to remind his peers to be quiet and direct their attention to the teacher. But IEP teams can reframe the strengths discussion so it focuses on abilities: What does Elana do well?. This kind of IEP gives much more weight to a students strengths, interests and preferences. Regardless of school, district, or even country, the IEP has similar characteristics: To identify the learner's strengths and weaknesses, to set measurable goals and objectives, to identify the tools and resources (including people) needed, to identify the strategies needed to achieve the goals and finally, as a team, to commit. This list of strengths and weaknesses examples helps you to self evaluate and recognize those that apply to you. Use this framework to help guide the writing process: __________ has a strong character, is _______________, and is _______________. A student with weaknesses in visual, spatial, or sequential aspects of math may. One of the fundamental components of an IEP, a present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement summarizes the students current levels of functioning. It is not necessary for those working through this module to read or refer to all of these additional resources to understand the content. Student strengths such as "helps partner with school work," "remembers to raise hand in class," and "tries to stay on task" are student strengths that can be observed and measured. Key points to reflection when writing strengths-based ieps: How do charter strengths improve academic performance? Johnny is a quick thinker. Give students a leadership role in IEP meetings. Flexibility. Self Criticism 3. Spelling test scores are a strength. She has realistic work goals and is able to describe what it would take to live on her own. Something that often takes many hits for a child with learning and attention issues. List of Student Strengths and Weaknesses for IEP Writing Elementary School: Academic Functioning Strengths/Current Status: Chris scored in the below average range in reading when re-evaluated in October. __________ is a hard worker in class. Ks learning disability negatively affects his decoding skills, which are at a low 2nd-grade level. A pattern I've noticed throughout my career is that I often feel I could have done more, even if objectively, I've done well. 3) Provide objective data from your childs evaluation results. It is our duty as special education instructors to discover and publicize those assets in order to develop them further. Please find below samples to support educators when developing IEPs. Megan is a hard worker in the classroom. IEP goals are based upon your child's present levels. Follow instructions. Student Strength Statements for IEP | Iep, Student, Sped teacher This weakness causes individuals to get only "parts" of information that they read or hear, but not the whole. Tips for Parents | How to Recognize Comprehension Weakness For example, if Elana struggles in math, what does she do well in that subject? Collaborative. After working with him, it was found that he was including the starting number to be subtracted as he was counting down to get the answer. Storytelling. Julie Rawe is the special projects editor at Understood. If the IEP fails to assess the childs present levels of academic achievement and functional performance the IEP does not comply with [IDEA]. : PRESENT LEVEL OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (Description of Child Section of IEP) Strengths/Current Status section: This section describes how the student is presently performing in the classroom and is written in objective, measurable terms. Concerns/Needs: Chris needs to improve reading skills in fluency and comprehension. Media inquiries:media@understood.org(preferred) or646-757-3100. A primary cause of language comprehension problems is difficulty creating mental images for language. Elana will use her skills with a times table to help transition by May 15 to knowing from memory all products of two one-digit numbers with 90% accuracy in four out of five tries. What are your strengths and weaknesses? - SpanishDict We have a variety of different types of student success goals that you can use to help your students shine. He is making progress in his goal to read more fluently and to use more expression in reading. In addition to school-based concerns, Ks parents worry about the effects of his learning disability outside of school. List of Strengths. Can she work independently? Strengths & Weaknesses of a Student - The Classroom When writing, David frequently misspells words and uses incorrect punctuation [weakness]. Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) Statements. How to Write an IEP | IEP Writing Guide by TeachTastic Publishing THE STRENGTH THAT'S ACTUALLY A WEAKNESS ANSWER "I'm a total workaholic. 32 Examples of Academic Weaknesses - Simplicable Have them fill out what their best answer is and then compare to find commonalities. Trustworthy 2. He matches shapes from a field of six. Being a perfectionist has never been a problem, though. The addition of functional performancenonacademic skills necessary for independent living (e.g., behavior, social skills, communication, independent living skills, and mobility)reflects an awareness that students with disabilities require more than academic supports if they are to meet their individual goals for long-term success. Chris scored in the low average range in written language. Steven does struggle with creating sentences and appears to lack confidence in his own ideas. Check out this guide to see the top 13 student strengths and student weaknesses contributing to academic success! All rights reserved. Present Level of Performance Examples : IEP Writing Tips When thinking of your child, consider all aspectsyour childs development. Visual-spatial strengths - Jigsaw puzzles, map reading skills, and sensitivity to the world around them are examples of visual-spatial skills. That way, you can write the best PLOP statement possible. She is a student wit a mild cognitive disability, who receives services in the resource room in reading/language arts and math for 36% of her school day. These list items are grouped into six different categories: Attitude, Academic Skills, Executive Function Skills, Social Skills, Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing Skills. Weaknesses Literacy A non-reader Unwilling to try to read Poor word attack skills No sight vocabulary Poor vocabulary (PPVT SS=45; TOLD SS=4; 3) Non-fluent when he reads Poor comprehension of reading material Poor sentence recall (TOLD SS=2; CELF=3) Not oriented to writing activities Never reads at home Grandmother a non-reader Comprehension Student Strengths and Weaknesses: List and 13 Examples for Students | My Strengths and Weaknesses Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? 5 Essential Math Word Problems IEP Goals | Teach Tastic, Math IEP Goals For Special Education - Free Printable PDFs. His positive work habits show that he follows rules and routines, can ignore distractions, and is a self starter in classroom activities. Creative thinking skills. After the IEP team has discussed the information above, they can begin to write the PLAAFP statement. PDF Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses in L.D. Identification Check the appropriate items in each category and bring forward to your IEP meeting or for a parent/teacher meeting. Strengths and Skills in Students with Autism Saras standardized reading composite test score is at the 73rd percentile. That information is outdated by the time a students IEP is ready for an annual review, so school personnel will need to collect data prior to the IEP meeting. If I'm on a project, I'm going to make sure to stick with it to the bitter, bloody end." Although this might sound like a strength, it's actually a weakness in disguise! As they do so, they should keep in mind that this statement should be written in concise, specific, and clear language that can be easily understood by all members of the IEP team. The second introduces the connection between the PLAAFP statements and the annual goals, with examples. Is a students' awareness also considered a strength? Very high level of motivation in topics and activities that are of interest. She does realize this would be difficult for her with her classes. Academic strengths include; curiosity, creativity, imagination, critical thinking, organization, time management, delayed gratification, and impulse control. Strong Communication Skills and Interpersonal Skills. Note: These are simple yes or no questions. A strengths-based IEP looks at abilities as well as weaknesses. Learning style. Aidan will use his preference for hands-on learning and his skills with technology to dictate his notes during science lab and complete his science lab reports on time and with 85% accuracy in three out of four consecutive assignments. He is fast with his work, and he is eager to share his knowledge with his classmates. Strengths tests and self-assessments can help deepen the discussion about strengths. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently. Billy is able to sort by object and color (field of 4). PDF Writing Strength-Based IEPs for Students with Disabilities in Inclusive It helps kids see how to make progress by leveraging what theyre good at. When student strengths are utilized, students will become more active and enthusiastic participants in their educations. For example, a weakness with test taking suggests that you understand subjects better than your grades indicate. The use of strengths-based approaches is not necessarily new, however supporting individuals' needs in a strength-based model has been largely overlooked in special education. It is important to document a strength and interest-based learning approach in the student's IEP. Academic Standard:Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Comprehension is improving but it may also be a language problem since he does have Autism. The PLAAFP statement serves as the foundation from which all other components of the IEP will be built. He has a strong reading vocabulary [strength]. Current formal evaluation (WISC III, Woodcock-Johnson R, other) Informal evaluation (teacher or parent observation, checklists, student work, other) Classroom performance in the areas of concern that will be the basis for the special education goals and objectives Grades History of testing if appropriate. Here are five to get you started: 1. Strengths-based IEPs aim to start with a strength for each of the skill sets discussed in this section. This is the heart of a strengths-based IEP. Be thorough. You CAN help your child overcome dyslexia with: Get Your Questions About Homeschooling Your Learning Abled Kid Answered! Helping students identify and leverage their strengths, interests and preferences can lead to more self-awareness and self-advocacy. Looking collectively at the data from assessments, Hannah has various strengths and weaknesses. 1. Difficulty when silent reading, needs to mouth words or whisper when reading . For example, K avoids games that involve even a little bit of reading, resulting in some conflicts during weekly family game nights, which often involve board games. An attempt to identify strengths and weaknesses, both academic and cognitive, wherein these strengths/weaknesses are "associated" Identification of a convergence of data points among measures The application is known as "cross battery assessment" or XBA approach General Principles: The IEP will start with a bit of information about the child, the diagnosis, who is present at the meeting, etc. . It is important to keep student strength lists unique just like iep goals because student strengths vary from student to student. Current (recently completed) evaluation/test information should be included. The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written document that outlines a child's education. Your child's skills . Physical strengths - Being able to ride a bike is a great example of physical strengths at a young age. This toolbox describes additional resources related to the information presented on this page. Document your childs current level of academic achievement and capabilities in other areas. My first language also affects my weakness in writing and reading. What Are Academic Strengths? Academic Strengths List & Examples Given fourth-grade level (4.0) reading material, Nura will write three details from the passage in her own words with 85% accuracy on three out of four consecutive assignments. K is a 9-year-old, 4th-grade student who is eligible for special education services under the category of Specific Learning Disability. Strengths-based IEP goals use a students abilities, interests and preferences to help chart a path to progress. Present Level of Performance Considerations: VISUAL Learning Style : ALL About Teaching Visual Learners & MORE, http://learningabledkids.com IEP Training Course. Engaging and Exciting. Several examples of IEP goals that include specific strategies and Universal Design follow: "Trevor will edit his writing for a project/topic of choice" using text-to-speech, spell check, and an editing checklist." "Using audio books, Natalie will answer inferential questions about novels that she selects from a pre-approved reading . The first lists additional considerations for infants and toddlers, behavior, severe disabilities, and secondary transition-related issues. Listing your strengths and weaknesses is a beneficial exercise that helps to motivate a range of positive cognitive and behavioral changes.