In the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Lisa Ruble and colleagues discuss a new tool for measuring the quality of IEPs:
Probably the most important finding of the study was that the IEPs of students with autism do not meet the requirements/recommendations of IDEA and NRC indicators and are sorely in need of improvement. Measurability of IEP objectives appeared to be one of the greatest areas of need. In particular, specified criteria for goal measurement and success were lacking. Further, most objectives either did not accurately reflect state standards or, when they did, tended tobe adopted without individualization to the child. Although state academic content standards should be considered in developing plans that allow access to the general curriculum, such standards alone are likely insufficient to become an individual student’s objective without modification. Instead, for standards requiring modification or accommodation, teams should delineate measurable objectives that lead to the standards, so it is possible to monitor the student’s progress towards the broader state academic standards.
