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Strength Based Iep : A Program

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Wittrock- Strength Based IEP-2

Necolena Wittrock
Strength Based IEPS
City University of Seattle

Strength-Based IEP
A strength-based IEP is an Individualized Educational Program that focuses on a child’s strengths instead of their deficits. If we look at the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), we will see that under the section Development of the IEP; it states the team shall consider the strengths of the child when writing an IEP. Showing the importance of focusing on strengths in the IEP because every child has them and as adults, we need to find them (Goldberg, 2012). According to Edward Anderson cited by Goldberg (2012)
Strengths-based education involves a process of assessing, teaching, and …show more content…

The consequence of not writing IEPs, in strength based form, is the suffering of the child because most IEPS are written in a method that shows deficits. Meaning that students could continue to struggle and feel inadequate in reaching their goals because they continue to work without their strengths. An example is a child with a weakness in math, but a love of drawing. We could either write a goal because he struggles with math or we could write a goal that uses his love of drawing to help him learn math. Example: Using drawings of objects, the student will solve math expression 8 out of 10 times. By allowing him to incorporate his passion into the lessons this student could grow and begin to understand math. Children need to know that teachers and parents want to create goals for them that will make them feel empowered and not insufficient. Some of the struggles I can see myself facing when writing IEPs in strength based method is making sure the IEPs are strength-based. I believe that we are all guilty of focusing on the deficits that children have and not on the strengths. Teachers need to remember not to become entangled in the negative. Even as a sub, I have come home telling my husband about a negative event that happened during the day, instead of saying the positive events first and many times the positives occur more often than the negatives. I can only hope I will be able to remember this and write many strength-based

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