IEPs - What are they?

The term "IEP" is usually unfamiliar to most adults/parents unless they have a child receiving some sort of special education in a public school. An IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, is a long, legal document that states the needs your child has (that are different from most children) that require specialized help in some form and the way in which these needs will be addressed while at school.

In short, it is an agreement between the parent and the school for the child. It states what the child will work on in the form of goals, any accommodations they may receive, how much specialized therapy time (speech/language, occupational, physical) your child will receive, how much time with a special education teacher they will get, and how much time they are in the classroom for. It's a lot of information, which is why it is so long. Understanding what it is as a parent is beneficial for you and your child. Remember as a parent, you are part of the IEP team. Nothing can happen without your consent. Feel free to ask questions so you know what is happening and what you are agreeing to for your child.

There are a few basic sections: introduction and basic information, strengths/weaknesses, goals, accommodations for the classroom, state/classroom testing, and frequency/duration of time for therapies or other services. We will go through each area so you can understand what they mean.

Basic Information - name, age, birthday, grade, etc. are all important to make sure we are talking about the same student and that we are all on the same page as to what grade they are in, the school they attend, how old they are, etc. This would also be where a basic medical history may be included if needed or felt to be relevant. Things like allergies, medicines being taken, and medical diagnoses or procedures that have been completed can be included here. This document is intended to help personnel (teachers, special education staff, etc.) have information that will help them to best plan for the student's needs throughout the school day.

Strengths/Weaknesses - this may sound harsh but it is not intended to be. This document has to state the need for why your child needs these services, and without those needs stated there is no reason for them to get these services. Many parents often walk away thinking, "there is a lot my child can't do," instead of all the things they can do or maybe the long journey it has taken to get them to where they are now. So remember that as you listen to this section. Often these weaknesses are used as the basis for goals that you will see later in the IEP.

Goals - Each area that has been determined to have a weakness (can be more than 1 area) has to have a goal. This goal should be achievable within 1 year from the time the IEP is written. This is hard to predict sometimes as children can develop at different rates or make faster or slower progress. If they do not appear to be meeting a goal or not making sufficient progress to reach the goal by the end of the first year, don't be surprised if a meeting is called to change the goal. The goals should be achievable for the student and maybe challenge them some but if it is too challenging then we may be asking for too much at this time. Imagine being asked to reach some high goal that you are no where near achieving. Wouldn't you rather the goal be taken down a notch or broken into smaller steps so that you can achieve it? This is the balance when writing a goal - making it challenging but not too challenging. Goals should also be written so that you, the parent, can understand them. If not, please ask for clarification so you know what your child is being asked to work toward and why. Goals can be (and should be) written in parent-friendly language so that a person who is not in the academic setting can understand what is being worked on.

Accommodations for the Classroom and State Testing - this section will list any accommodations that your child will receive. It is not mandatory that they receive any accommodations, but the ones listed are felt to be in the child's best interest in order for them to succeed. They can include: read-aloud of directions or material, extended time, shortening of assignment/test, and so many more. Accommodations can be given for the student while they participate in the assessment. Sometimes certain accommodations cannot be given (ex: read-aloud accommodations) during specific state tests. For example, in Tennessee, there is a 3rd grade reading test where the purpose is to see how well the student can read and giving a read-aloud accommodation defeats that purpose.

State Testing - As a child gets older, they will have to participate in standardized testing that all other students have to participate in. This section lists the state test that the student will be participating in this year (if any). Sometimes due to a student's eligibility category, they may also qualify to participate in alternative assessment.

Frequency/Duration - This section will list how much time your child will spend in various therapies (speech/language, occupational, and/or physical). It will also state how much time your child will spend with a special education teacher outside or inside the classroom. There is "inclusion time" (time where a special education professional will spend in your child's classroom) and "pull out time" (time where your child is pulled from their classroom to work on specific skills).

Katelynn Gibson, M.S., CCC-SLP