Basics of IEPs

What is an IEP?

An IEP stands for an Individualized Education Program. Special education law states that any child with a disability is guaranteed an "appropriate" education at public expense. Your IEP will consist of a few different parts.

1. There will be a PLAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance- some schools call is something slightly different). This will say where your child is performing in various areas like communication, fine motor, gross motor, social skills, academic, self-help, etc.

2. Goals! These are annual goals (if you agree to the "pilot 3 year IEP" program, I may personally come knock some sense into you) in each category that are things your child needs to improve on. The goal could be about CVC words (consonant-vowel-consonant like Bob or hat), or playing with a peer for x amount of time, or about reading levels. Whatever your child needs to work on, put in there! There is no limit, and you are the NUMBER ONE person on your child's team. Give input!

3. Related Services. This will describe the services your child is receiving. My 4 year old daughter's IEP says that she will receive 4 days of the special preschool weekly, 30 minutes 1:1 occupational therapy weekly, 70 minutes 1:1 speech therapy weekly, and 30 minutes adapted physical education weekly in a group setting. Transportation is required to be offered by law to special needs students, but I don't use it because we live 3 doors down from her school.

4. There is also area in the IEP for things like staff training, parent training, behavior plans, assistive technology, placement decisions, and ESY (extended school year).

5. You can ALWAYS add a parent addendum to the IEP. This could be a transcript of the meeting, your notes, letters to the school, etc. Few parents use this, but it is wonderful for creating a paper trail for any disputes you may have with the school. And believe me, if you are a strong advocate, there will be disputes.


Who is on the IEP Team?

1. YOU!!!! You are the most important person on your child's team! No one knows your child as well as you do! Your input, concerns, and desires should always be voiced. Also, make sure to bring support with you- a spouse, friend, a scary guy to take notes and intimidate people... Whatever doctors your pepper! No matter how prepared you are, it will be emotionally exhausting and taxing.

2. Your child's teacher(s). Any of your child's teachers/ aides can be invited to give input, and the teachers I have run into are genuine and care about each student. They will be forming goals for academics/ their subject. 

3. The LEA representative. This means the Local Education Agency (school district) representative. In my experience, these are the gatekeepers. The guardians of the district's resources. The ones who say NO when you want something. This will most likely be the principal at an elementary school, or else an assistant principal at a junior high/ high school. They are supposed to be trained in special ed law, but often are not and say no without really considering the matter. But that has just been my experience

4. Specialists. This could be the vision therapist, physical therapist, APE teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist, hearing specialist... The list goes on and on. They each help you to draw up goals for their own fields of work pertaining to your child.

5. Anyone you invite who has information that would help your child. Private SLP? Great! Neuropsychologist that wants to phone in to deliver his/ her evaluation? Bring it on!


What Should I do to Prepare for an IEP?
 
1. What I have found most helpful is to print off your own agenda. I make mine very simple in chart form. I have three columns- (1) What We Want (2) School's Response (3) Resolved? This helps me remember all the points I want to address, and keep me on track for when someone tries to sidetrack to side step the issue. The school will have their own agenda, which is fine. I usually let them say their bit, then say mine.

2. Especially if this is your very first IEP meeting or you have new team members, make them a folder!!! I do an "All About Me" page first- that tells about Chelsea's likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, and a couple tips for working with her. I also put in a page or two about her disabilities, with information about each one, good techniques for working with it, and links for where they can find more information. I also put in my contact info with a plea for them to please, please, please contact me if they ever have any questions or comments.

3. Decide on how you will communicate with your child's team! Do you want weekly emails, are you satisfied with the 6 week progress reports, talk after school? For my daughter, I have notebooks that I send with her each day for her teachers/ therapists to write in. They record what they worked on, how she behaved during their time with her, tips for what to do at home, etc. This works well for me since Chelsea can't tell me what happened at school, and I want to know! Voice this at the meeting, and decide on how best to communicate. Ongoing communication is crucial to success!

4. Study, study, study special education law. I personally LOVE the Wrightslaw books (no, I don't have any financial ties to them- I just love them). Pete Wright is the author and he had ADHD and dyslexia growing up, and was told by multiple teachers that the most he could hope for was a high school diploma; college would be crazy. Long story short, he ended up a very successful special ed lawyer and won a case in front of the supreme court. The 3 best are: Special Ed Law Edition 2, Emotions to Advocacy, and All About IEPs. If you are ever able to, go to one of his workshops. He does IEP workshops- 10ish hours of him telling you which laws are most important and why and how to advocate. I went to one, and it was the best money I ever spent!!!!!!


I will be blogging more about IEPs, because I feel like I live and breathe them! I want parents to be strong advocates for their children! To the parents of non-verbal kids: Your child has no speech; the only voice they have is yours. Make it count!