An Individualized Education Program, or IEP, is central to any family’s experience of special education. The IEP meeting is where you will meet with your school team and build a plan for your child’s special education goals and services, which — true to the “individualized” in its name — should be tailored to your child’s unique needs. The plan becomes a legal agreement between you and your school that must be followed.
An IEP outlines services and supports that the school or district will provide, at no cost to the student’s family, to ensure that the student has access to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and that their individual needs are met. Every child who receives special education services must have an IEP.
In the clip below, Undivided's Education Advocate Lisa Carey provides a brief explanation of this important document:
A child is eligible for an IEP if they meet the criteria for one of thirteen eligibility categories and if they cannot make adequate progress in school without special education services. Here's a breakdown of each category.
If a student is not eligible for an IEP, they may still qualify for a 504 plan. (Learn about the differences between a 504 plan and an IEP here.)
After a formal assessment has been conducted by the school or district, the IEP team is created. This group of individuals includes key school staff and the child’s parent(s). The team will meet and review the assessments and any other relevant information about the child. If it is determined that the student is eligible for special educational services, the team will design a program to address the child’s educational needs that result from their disability.
Remember that parents are the most important members of an IEP team and have a right to fully participate. Read about the IEP team’s key players and their roles.
In order to qualify for an IEP, a student must receive an initial full assessment. A full assessment is a multidisciplinary set of assessments conducted by a school psychologist, special education teacher, and any additional related service providers who are relevant to the student’s disability — these can include speech, occupational, behavioral, vision, and physical therapists, and more.
A parent can request an assessment of their child at any time. (Here is a sample letter that Undivided members can use to request an assessment for an IEP.)
If a student qualifies for special education services, a full reassessment must be reviewed every three years (called a triennial assessment) to ensure that they still qualify for special education services. A child’s IEP must also be reviewed once a year at minimum to determine whether the annual goals are being achieved or must be revised. Read more about the types of assessments conducted for IEPs.
An IEP includes the following:
We break all of these down in our article on key parts of an IEP.
If you disagree with the IEP team’s assessment, placement, goals, services, or supports, speak up during the IEP meeting. Ask that your objections be included in the narrative or the parent notes.
After the meeting, review your IEP and decide whether to sign it and which parts you agree with. The district will either have to incorporate your suggestions or provide you with prior written notice that explains why they don’t believe they are legally required to incorporate your requests.
If attempts at alternative dispute resolution or mediation do not work, you have the right to file a due process complaint and have your case heard by an administrative law judge.
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