What is an IEP? Why Do I Need One?
Sometimes, your child may have difficulty in school, for whatever reason. Maybe they have a disability, maybe they are quick with numbers but not so good with letters, or maybe they have problems paying attention in class.
If you don’t want to take your child out of school, it may be time to consider an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). These plans are typically the first step to qualifying for special education services. The plans are covered under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal act. These plans are available in both public schools and charter schools.
If you are considering one for your student, this article will help walk you through the steps necessary to get one and to help you determine if its right for you and your family.
How Do I Get an IEP For My Child?
Obtaining and implementing an IEP for your child is an ongoing process. Once you’ve decided to pursue an IEP, you may wonder what your next steps should be. Generally speaking, the IEP process is divided into three phases: evaluation, development or placement, and implementation. The process itself can be a bit daunting, so we at Anything Academic recommend finding an IEP advocate or counselor to help you on your journey.
Sometimes, the school may decide that your child is no longer exhibiting signs of a struggle and remove them from an IEP. This ruling may be incorrect and cause your child more harm than good. An IEP advocate would be able to help you get your child back in their IEP and continue down the road that works for them.
Phase One: Evaluation
The evaluation aims to determine whether or not the child has a disability that makes him or her eligible for an IEP. During this phase, you will determine whether your child needs an IEP, and if so, what kind of services and accommodations it should provide. The evaluation process is highly individual. As noted by the United States Department of Education, referral for evaluation can come from three different sources:
- Child Find Services: “Child Find” services are executed by the state, required by law to reach out to potential IEP students and identify anyone who needs an IEP.
- Parent Referral: Parents can also request that their child be evaluated for an IEP.
- School Referral: The school administration can identify students who would benefit from an IEP, and parents have the child evaluated.
Regardless of who refers the child for an IEP, parents must provide consent for the evaluation process. After consent is received, the evaluation must occur within a given time frame determined by each state. (These, however, can often be delayed and may be difficult to schedule. An advocate can assist with this process.)
The evaluation process is a crucial step in developing your child’s IEP. As noted by the Center for Parent Information and Resources, each evaluation is individualized and specifically focused on the child. The evaluation areas might include overall health, academic performance, social and emotional status, motor skills, and overall intelligence. The evaluation will include various tests, assessments, observations, and even interviews with parents, teachers, school staff, and other relevant sources.
Sometimes parents may not agree with the results of the IEP evaluation process. If this happens, you may be able to receive another evaluation, called an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). If your child has been diagnosed with a disability and you disagree with the IEP evaluation results, it may be possible for you to have the IEE fees paid by your child’s school.
Once the evaluation process is complete, you are ready to move on to the next step and begin developing your child’s IEP.
Phase Two: Development and Placement
Like the IEP evaluation process, the development phase is a team effort. Parents will work with teachers, special education professionals, administration, and their children to develop the best IEP. Parents must be involved every step of the way to ensure the plan meets their child’s needs. The first step in developing your child’s IEP will be meeting with the IEP team. The team will carefully analyze your child’s test and assessment results and determine their current school performance levels. This will allow the team to set goals and benchmarks your child can meet as the IEP plan is implemented. The USDE outlines four basic considerations to expect during your child’s IEP meeting:
- Child’s strengths
- Parents’ desires for the child
- Evaluation results
- State and district testing results
The meeting will also include discussing goals, curriculum selection, extracurricular activities, and integration with non-disabled children. Besides, IDEA requires the IEP team to consider what it calls “special factors.” These include blindness or a visual impairment, behavior problems, communication needs, level of proficiency in English, assistive technology needs, and deafness or hearing impairment.
The IEP meeting is crucial to developing a successful plan for your child. Once the meeting is complete, the team will write out the IEP plan. There are a variety of templates out there, but they all cover the same basic information. Once again, parents are highly involved in this process and provide the final green light. The team will also discuss the child’s placement – whether they should attend a regular school, a school for children with special needs, or another option. Parents must provide written consent to the IEP plan before it is implemented, and if they disagree with the contents of the plan, they have the right to mediation to resolve any disputes.
To get an idea of what an IEP form looks like and the information it contains check out the USDE website.
Phase Three: Implementation
As any parent of a disabled child knows, there is no overnight solution to helping your child deal with a disability. An IEP is no exception. The development and placement processes complete a lot of the legwork. Still, for your child’s IEP to have the greatest impact, it must be implemented, reviewed, and revised regularly. The school is legally required to review your child’s IEP at least once a year and provide any revisions as needed. Parents are also encouraged to stay in regular contact with the school and express any concerns or questions as they arise. IEP team review meetings will cover much of the same information as your initial meeting but will consider how your child has exceeded or fallen short of his or her original IEP goals.
Although an IEP is a legal, written document, it’s important to remember that it is highly individual to your child and will change over time. With a skilled team, open communication, and perhaps most importantly, attention to your child’s needs, an IEP might be an important key to school – and life – success.