Chapter 7: Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
Developing Your Child's Education Plan
Who is this for? This chapter is for parents whose child has been formally evaluated for special education services and has already been found eligible to receive special education and related services as required by IDEA.
Why is this important? The Individualized Education Program (or IEP) lays out the school's commitment to provide special education and related services to eligible students. Each eligible student must have an IEP in effect before he or she can receive special education and related services.
What can parents do? IDEA makes it clear that parents are full and equal members of the IEP team. Parents can be active participants in developing their child’s IEP. They also should be involved to ensure that special education services are helping their child make adequate progress in the general education curriculum.
Words and Terms to Know
Individualized Education Program (IEP): A written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed and revised according to the requirements of IDEA.
General education curriculum: The body of knowledge and range of skills that all students throughout a state are expected to master.
Least restrictive environment: To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are to be educated with children who are not disabled. Special classes, separate schooling, or other ways of removing children with disabilities from the regular educational environment should only occur when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes cannot be achieved satisfactorily with the use of supplementary aids and services.
Specially designed instruction: Ways that special education professionals adapt the content, methodology (approaches to teaching certain grade level content), or the delivery of instruction to address the unique needs that result from the child's disability. Specially designed instruction should also ensure that the eligible child has access to the general curriculum so that he or she can meet the educational standards of the school district that apply to all children.
Related services: Supportive services that are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. Related services include transportation, developmental and corrective services, speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation (including therapeutic recreation), counseling services (including rehabilitation counseling), orientation and mobility services, and medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes. Related services also include school health services, school nurse services designed to enable a child with a disability to receive a free appropriate public education as described in the child's IEP, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training.
Supplemental aids and services: Aids, services and other supports that are provided in regular education classes or other education-related settings that enable children with disabilities to be educated alongside nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate. Examples of supplemental aids and services might be assistive technologies such as a computer or adapted physical education.
Accommodations: Accommodations are tools and procedures that provide equal access to instruction and assessment for students with disabilities. Designed to "level the playing field" for students with disabilities, accommodations are generally grouped into the following categories:
- Presentation (e.g., repeat directions, read aloud, use of larger bubbles on answer sheets, etc.)
- Response (e.g., mark answers in book, use reference aids, point, use of computer, etc.)
- Timing/Scheduling (e.g., extended time, frequent breaks, etc.)
- Setting (e.g., study carrel, special lighting, separate room, etc.)
Note: The IDEA Parent Guide was created to provide a basic understanding of the key requirements of the federal law under IDEA. The information presented here is not legal advice and should not be used as a legal resource.
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