What is included in the offer of FAPE in an IEP?

In some IEP documents, the service delivery section lists the placement options (the least restrictive environment, or LRE) that were considered by the IEP team, and the reason the team chose the placement they did. Other IEP documents have an entire section dedicated to the LRE analysis and determination. This section also details the number of service minutes a child will receive in the classroom(s) chosen by the team, such as how much time a child will spend in a general education classroom and how much time the student will spend in a special day classroom (SDC) as well as the frequency, duration, and location of any related services, such as any therapies (physical, occupational, speech, etc.). It’s important to note that Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) can be provided anywhere (including within the general education classroom). The “offer of FAPE” also includes transportation services, assistive technology, paraprofessional support, and other components of the student’s IEP. While “offer of FAPE” is mentioned in the title, other details included in the offer of FAPE such as accommodations, modifications, and other supports may appear in the Supplementary Aids and Services section depending on the format of the IEP document.

For more details, see our article Key Parts of an IEP.