An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written statement of the educational program designed to meet your child’s individual needs. Every child who receives special education services must have an IEP.
1. What Is the Purpose of an IEP?
One of the most important parts of the special education process is creating a plan for your child’s education. The IEP is the foundation for your child’s education, and you are a very important member of the team that develops it.
The IEP has three general purposes:
- To identify your child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) and how your child’s disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general education curriculum,
- To set reasonable learning goals for your child, and
- To state the services that the school district will provide for your child.
2. Who Develops My Childs’s IEP?
The IEP is developed by a team of individuals that includes key school staff, that have or may be providing services to your child, and you (parent or guardian). In the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this team is referred to as the IEP team and the meetings called IEP meetings, but in Texas, the IEP team is called the ARD committee and the IEP meeting is referred to as an ARD meeting (ARD stands for Admission, Review and Dismissal).
The ARD committee meets, reviews the assessment information available about your child, input, and concerns from you, and designs an educational program to address his or her educational needs that result from their disability.
Parents or guardians are essential and equal members of their child’s ARD committee. Your thoughts and opinions on the eligibility, evaluation, services, goals, and placement of your child are important. There is no one as motivated to see your child succeed as you, and this alone places you in a crucial role as an active participant on the ARD committee.
3. When Is the IEP Developed?
An ARD meeting must be held within 30 calendar days after a full and individual evaluation is completed. If it is determined that your child has one of the disabilities listed in IDEA and needs special education and related services, an IEP is written. Your child’s IEP must also be reviewed at least annually thereafter to determine whether the annual goals are being achieved and must be revised as appropriate.
4. What Should Be Included in My Child’s IEP?
Your child’s IEP must contain specific information, as listed within IDEA. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Your child’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP), describing how he or she is currently doing in school and how your child’s disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum;
- Annual goals for your child, meaning what you and the school think he or she can reasonably accomplish in a year, and should be challenging;
- The special education and related services to be provided to your child, including supplementary aids and services (such as a communication device) and changes to the program or supports for school personnel;
- How much of the school day your child will be educated separately from nondisabled children or not participate in extracurricular or other nonacademic activities such as lunch or clubs;
- How your child is to participate in state and district-wide assessments, including what allowable accommodations they should have;
- When services, accommodations, and modifications will begin, how often they will be provided, where they will be provided, and how long they will last; and
- How school personnel will measure your child’s progress toward the annual goals, and when you will be informed of progress.
5. Can My Child Be Involved in Developing His or Her Own IEP?
Yes, your child certainly can be involved! IDEA actually requires that the student be invited to any ARD meeting where transition services will be discussed. These are services designed to help your child plan for his or her transition to adulthood and life after high school. In Texas, transition planning must begin for your child no later than the age of 14.
Outside of the required involvement of your child in transitioning planning, deciding when and how your child will participate in the ARD meeting is a decision you and your child can make. Some children in elementary school come to the meeting just to learn a little about the process or to share information about themselves. As your child gets older, it may be a good idea to encourage him or her to take a more active role. This allows your child to have a strong voice in his or her own education and can teach your child a great deal about self-advocacy and self-determination.