Creating An Individualized Education Program (IEP)

An Individualized Education Program (IEP), as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004, is your child's roadmap through the public education system. The IEP is created specifically for YOUR child, and will guide his or her curriculum, education strategies, and supplemental services (occupational, physical, speech, music therapy etc.). If your child qualifies for special education, this document is critical to his or her success.

The IEP is re-defined annually during meetings with your child's educational "team" - teachers, therapists, school administration representatives and, most importantly, YOU. You know your child better than anyone else on the team, and will be his or her best advocate for securing the programs and services that will help your child achieve success at every grade level. The IEP process is not always easy, and in fact, can be a very frustrating experience for parents. The articles and links below will provide an overview of the IEP process and resources to help you make decisions with regard to you child's IEP in general, and in regard to important transition periods in your child's school career as well as when requesting special services such as assistive technology to help your child access the curriculum.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Federal law defining your child's educational rights is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. This law defines the responsibilities of the public school system as well as the processes to be undertaken to ensure that a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) be provided to your child. One of the most critical processes defined in IDEA is the IEP, which is to be developed annually for your child.

Each state also has its own implementation/process guide defining the processes put in place to comply with IDEA.

If you are not yet familiar with IDEA, you may want to learn more about IDEA before continuing with learning about IEPs.

What is an IEP?

Per the Department of Education:

"Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability."

An IEP is an official written document that must be signed by all members of the IEP team for your child. While the data contained within an IEP is regulated by guidelines, the form of the IEP may vary from location to location.

To view the Department of Education's explanation of the IEP, visit A Guide to the Individualized Education Program.

Many states, and even some school districts, have their own guidelines for preparing IEPs. Contact your school to find out what guidelines they use.

Common Terms

IEP
Individualized Education Program (IEP) - A unique plan, developed specifically for the educational goals of your child for the current school year.

LRE
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) - Generally, a child with a disability should be served in the regular classroom with as much interaction with his or her non-handicapped classmates as possible. A child with a disability may only be removed from the regular classroom when the nature or severity of the disability is such that the education in regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily, even with the use of supplementary aids and services.

IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.
ESY
Extended School Year Services (ESY) -An extended school year is a component of special education services for students with unique needs who require services in excess of the regular academic year. Extended year often refers to summer school.
FAPE
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) - Special education and related services are provided at public expense, without charge to the parents
IFSP
Individualized Family Service Plan: (IFSP) - A process of providing early intervention services for children ages 0-3 with special needs.
ITP
Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) - This plan starts at age 14 and addresses areas of post-school activities, post secondary education, employment, community experiences and daily living skills.
View additional IEP related terms, definitions, and acronyms.

How is an IEP created?

The IEP is written by the IEP team, which can consist of many people. Most IEP processes state that an IEP meeting is scheduled with the IEP team and the IEP is created during this meeting. In reality, it is neither efficient nor desirable to wait until your IEP meeting to first address the IEP.

In most instances, it is perfectly acceptable that you be provided with a preliminary copy of the IEP ten days prior to the IEP meeting. This will allow you time to review the school's proposed goals and either have an efficient meeting because you agree with the IEP as written or provide you time to prepare adequately with additional information on points where you disagree.

You can also submit recommendations prior to the IEP meeting asking that they be included in your child's IEP.

The bottom line is that YOU are a member of the IEP team and should have adequate opportunity to participate in the planning of the IEP!

Once you and the rest of the team agree on the IEP, you will sign it. It is then up to the service providers to implement the IEP effectively.

Check out the IEP Tip Sheet for additional information.

Common IEP Mistakes

There are several common mistakes parents make when creating an IEP (usually their first), or going through the IEP process. They are:

No preliminary IEP
Without a preliminary look at what is being proposed for your child, your first opportunity to see the IEP is in the IEP meeting - where you are expected to agree to and sign the IEP. This puts you in a disadvantageous position, and you can feel pressured to agree to items without having time to really think through their implications. Always ask for a preliminary copy prior to the IEP meeting, and never feel like you have to sign at the meeting.

IEP does not contain specific/measurable achievement goals
This is the most common mistake made when creating IEPs. It is easy to make, and accept, overly generalized goals and achievement markers and believe they are acceptable. Many IEPs contain goals and achievements such as "...will improve letter recognition." This is an unmeasurable goal which can be claimed as "achieved" with very little progress actually having been made. A better goal would be "...will recognize 9 out of 10 random letters shown, 4 out of 5 times." This is specific and measurable.

Short term goals will not meet long term goals
If a specific long term goal is agreed upon, make sure that the short term goals adequately support progress towards the long term goal.

Sign when you don't agree
Never sign an IEP at the meeting, especially if you don't agree with it. A verbal commitment that "we'll work that out later" is not binding - but your signature is. Remember that you have 3 days to review the IEP before signing and its always a good idea to take the IEP home and review it one more time - even if you think that everything is fine. Never feel pressured into signing an IEP.

What if we can't agree?

IDEA and the IEP process have anticipated that there may be times when you will not agree with an IEP. All schools have a Due Process procedure you can follow that will progressively escalate your complaint through the appeals process. If you cannot agree on your IEP, the school will provide you the information and steps you need to begin the Due Process procedure.

Should I have an advocate or an attorney?

Many parents find the assistance of an advocate or attorney, familiar with IDEA, to be an invaluable tool in their dealings with IEPs and education issues. The decision to utilize an advocate or attorney is a personal decision, but one that has many merits.

You can find a wealth of further information regarding advocacy and legal issues pertaining to special education at Wrightslaw.com.