Supplemental Services and Supports

Taken from http://nichcy.org/schoolage/iep/iepcontents/supplementary

IDEA’s Exact Words

Again, let’s start with IDEA’s full requirement for identifying the supplementary aids and services a child will need and specifying them in his or her IEP. This appears at §300.320(a)(4) and stipulates that each child’s IEP must contain:

(4) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child—

(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;

(ii) To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and

(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and non-disabled children in the activities described in this section… [§300.320(a)(4)]

We’ve bolded the part of IDEA’s regulation that specifically mentions supplementary aids and services, because it’s important to see the context in which this term is used. It is that context, and IDEA’s own definition of supplementary aids and services, that will guide how a child’s IEP team considers what services the child needs and the detail with which the team specifies them in the IEP.

The Short Story on Supplementary Aids and Services

Supplementary aids and services are often critical elements in supporting the education of children with disabilities in regular classes and their participation in a range of another school activities. IDEA’s definition of this term (at §300.42)reads:

Supplementary aids and services means aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with non-disabled children to the maximum extent appropriate …

Speaking practically, supplementary aids and services can be accommodations and modifications to the curriculum under study or the manner in which that content is presented or a child’s progress is measured. But that’s not all they are or can be. Supplementary aids and services can also include direct services and supports to the child, as well as support and training for staff who work with that child. That’s why determining what supplementary aids and services are appropriate for a particular child must be done on an individual basis.

Another helpful link: http://ucat.usor.utah.gov/

Reflection

     These resources were all beneficial in explaining supplementary aids and services to me.  The first two sources describe the exact definition of supplementary aids and services from the IDEA which would be beneficial to any instructor new to the subject and looking to find out more.  The emphasis on the individual that these two sources make demonstrates how important it is to focus on the specific case of the student and what he or she might need to succeed in school.
     The link to the Utah Center for Assistive Technology was also helpful in that it provides additional information regarding supplementary aids and services.  It gave a lot of stories of people who have benefited from assistive technology which I think would be motivational for people with disabilities and their instructors.  It would also be beneficial to the parents of students with disabilities because of the specific information it provides.  The site also advertised that it would provide free evaluations for these technologies to anyone in the state of Utah which is a helpful resource for students with disabilities.