3 Parts of an IEP You Should Know About

Published: May. 24, 2022Updated: Aug. 12, 2024

In our IEP Starter Kit series, Undivided’s Education Advocate Lisa Carey covered all the basics to help you get through your next (or first!) IEP meeting with confidence. During our live event, she explained some important aspects of IEPs that help ensure our kids have all the supports they need in school. Here are the top takeaways from the event!

Include a Behavior Intervention Plan

FBA and BIP are two common acronyms you’ll likely see in an IEP, and they have important differences. A Functional Behavioral Assessment is simply the data collected about a child’s behavior, including what happens before, during, and after the behavior. Your IEP team will use that data to create a Behavioral Intervention Plan in the IEP. In this clip, Lisa explains what a BIP is, and why it’s important to address it in your IEP.

Spell out plans to address safety concerns

When you have behavioral or medical safety concerns, make sure you document them. (As parent Melissa A. commented during our live event, “Get it in writing!!!”) Before your IEP meeting, draft a letter to the school about your concerns and ask that it be included in your child’s file.

Then, during the IEP meeting, you and your IEP team can write down what the teacher and other staff members should do to prevent those dangers from occurring as well as how staff needs to handle issues if they come up. In this clip, Lisa offers some examples of safety concerns and how the IEP should address them.

Understand your placement options

An IEP will spell out your child’s educational placement. The least restrictive environment (LRE) is a general education classroom, so the discussion of your child’s placement will start there and move toward adding more supports. The IEP should also state what percentage of time your child will spend in the general education environment. Listen to this clip for Lisa’s explanation of what that means and how to ask your IEP team for clarification on what your child’s day will actually look like.

Final tips from an experienced parent

Lisa isn’t just an Education Advocate; she’s a fellow parent with years of experience attending IEP meetings for her own children. One of her recommendations is to request your child’s assessments in advance of the IEP meeting so that you have time to process the information and attend the meeting prepared to advocate for your child. Check out this clip for more tips to help you be prepared and stay calm during the meeting.

When Lisa recommended that parents bring a friend or advocate to the IEP meeting, Zara L. asked, “Are there free advocates anywhere?”

Evy A. responded, “You can request an advocate from Regional Center.” Lisa agreed, “Yes, ask RC! I know RC case workers will attend, but they usually never speak and just take notes. You can also put an Education Advocate in your spending plan for Self-Determination if you are doing SDP.”

Undivided's education advocate Lisa Carey said, "Honestly? You can’t know until you try. It is important to make sure the best possible supports are set up in advance so that your child has the best possible chance to thrive."

Watch the full recording

If you missed the event or want to review what we learned, you can watch the full recording here. If you have questions about addressing IEP concerns with your school district, make sure to attend our next live event to ask your question in the chat and hear from our experts and fellow parents! Keep an eye on our Facebook page to learn more.

Contents

Overview

Include a Behavior Intervention Plan

Spell out plans to address safety concerns

Understand your placement options

Final tips from an experienced parent

Watch the full recording

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Least Restrictive Environment and Placement Options in an IEP

Functional Behavioral Assessments 101

IEP Meeting Tips for Parents

Author

Brittany OlsenUndivided Editor

An editor and cartoonist who loves using words and images to simplify and share ideas. She has ten years of experience as a copy editor and lives near Portland, Oregon. She often spends her free time going on nature walks with her dog or trying new bread recipes. #### Reviewed by Lindsay Crain, Undivided Head of Content and Community #### Contributors Lisa Carey, Undivided Education Advocate Lisa Carey, Undivided Education Advocate

Each piece of content has been rigorously researched, edited, and vetted to bring you the latest and most up-to-date information. Learn more about our content and research process here.

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