Ideas for the IEP

Once a PEPSI profile is established, there is a graphic representation of a student's strengths and weaknesses. Use the following example of a seven year old youngster to practice looking for student strengths and areas that might be important to focus on as part of an individual education plan.

Area	Strengths	Build-ons
Physical	Good large muscle coordination Dresses self Prints own name	Not washing hands after toileting Needs help tying shoes Runs out of energy before tasks are completed
Emotional	Very trusting Enjoys helping when asked	Tattles to solve problems with peers Has frequent tantrums Very stubborn, willful
Philosophical	Wants to be praised Usually tells the truth Very loving	Bossy with others Takes others' things and cries when confronted No recognition of others' needs
Social	Likes to please the teacher Loves to organize things	Tends to interact with adults or play alone Possessive
Intellectual	Counts to ten Writes own name when asked Reads twenty sight words Likes to copy from the board	Preschool grade level work Five minute attention span Not able to follow two consecutive directions

Now, write two objectives for each of the PEPSI areas. Stay focused on strengthening the student's potential. Try to address one of the objectives toward strengths the student already has.

Using the PEPSI

to identify Student Strengths and Growth Needs