Increasing the dialogue among stakeholders in New Jersey’s special education system

The New IEP: Using Strengths to Set Goals

May 6, 2019 | Better IEPs, Parents, Professionals, Teachers

Young male student with chalk drawing of strong arms making muscles behing him

By Katie Curran, MAPP

It’s that time of year – IEP season!

Whether you are a parent of a child who needs an Individualized Education Program or a special educator tasked with writing the plan, you are likely preparing for upcoming meetings. These meetings aim to set the educational focus for the next 12 months for learners with special needs. The room will be full of professionals – speech pathologists, teachers, occupational therapists, paraprofessionals, principals, case managers, and parent(s).

However, who is missing? You guessed it… the student!

I have been attending IEP meetings for 15 years. I have only seen a handful of meetings, where the student was invited and supported in being there. Imagine having all of the important people in your life get together and make a plan for the next 12 months of your life, and they don’t include you in the meeting! Time and resources should be applied to help students attend.

Look at any IEP and answer this: How many of the goals are based on the student’s strengths versus weaknesses?

Let’s talk about why the student is typically left out. They are left out, because these meetings, much like the IEPs themselves, are deficit-focused. In the first five minutes, someone will share a “Strengths and Weaknesses” narrative, which leads to several smiles and sighs at the “strengths” noted. Check the box. We are done with strengths.

The remainder of the meeting is focused on all of the things the student cannot do, the goals to help them do them and behavior problems that are preventing learning. Year after year and goal after goal, the child’s IEP is based on weaknesses. Now, you might be saying – “that’s right, we are trying to help them catch up.” However, is this the best way?

Take a look at a typically-developing child. If a child excels in math, no one would dare say, “we don’t need to put him in math class. He is already good at that. Let’s give him double world languages instead.” Nor do we say to the child who is demonstrating great creativity or curiosity about the world, “you don’t need that science robotics camp. You are creative enough as you are.” Instead, we seek out extra math and look for opportunities to nourish and grow character strengths of creativity and curiosity. How does that student feel in math class or robotics camp? – He probably feels successful, energized and happy!

We often do the opposite to kids with special needs. Look at any IEP and answer this: How many of the goals are based on the student’s strengths versus weaknesses? The school day will be mostly focused on goals about areas of deficit. How does that student feel – frustrated, sad, like a failure? Is this the best way to help these students flourish? No, we can do better.

The VIA Survey of character strengths is the ideal place to start. It helps professionals by providing a tool that brings character strengths to the forefront of the IEP process. As a positive psychology consultant, I work with schools and families to prepare students for their IEP process, by implementing the following steps:

  1. Invite the student to the meeting. Make accommodations.
  2. Before the meeting, educate the student about the IEP process.
  3. Have the student take the VIA Youth Survey.
  4. Start the meeting by sharing signature strengths (including the student as much as possible).
  5. As a team, set at least 3 IEP goals that focus on growing signature strengths.
  6. Post the student’s strengths in the classroom and encourage conversation with peers and teachers about them.

Sample Goals

  1. The student will independently complete written and photographic entries into a gratitude journal on his iPad, using the “Happy App” with 90% accuracy on four out of five opportunities.
  2. The student will deploy her love of learning strength, by learning to use Pinterest to independently select art projects, recipes, or science experiments that she finds curious and interesting with 90% accuracy on three consecutive opportunities. She will be provided with weekly opportunities to express her creativity, by completing those projects with teacher support.
  3. The student will use his creativity and leadership strengths to design and learn how to independently guide a series of 15-20 “energy breaks” for his peers. He will be given weekly opportunities to demonstrate his strength by independently leading his peers in high energy/fun breaks, when requested by the teacher.
  4. The student will enhance her hope/optimism, by learning and applying Goal Setting Theory (i.e., what goals are, why they are important, how to set goals, how to track progress and how to modify goals) and then writing three long-term goals (i.e., IEP goals) and chunking them into short-term goals (i.e., weekly goals).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katie M. Curran, MAPP, is founder and executive director of Proof Positive. She consults widely to private and public schools on the application of positive psychology. She is an international leader in the application of character strengths. Her work background and training includes the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton Child Development Institute, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Wondering about “Signature Strengths”? Check this out…