Do you have a concern about how your child is functioning at school? One of the most powerful tools available to help students is the Individualized Education Program, or IEP.
What is an Individualized Education Program (IEP)?
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a personalized plan to help students succeed in school with specific accommodations. For example, if your child is struggling in school due to a communication disorder or a neurological condition such as ADHD, autism, or a processing disorder, an IEP can help them get the specialized support they need in the classroom.
An IEP should specifically outline your child’s learning needs, annual goals to measure their progress, and services the school will provide to support your child. Each IEP is personalized for the student and their needs.
IEPs are legally binding documents under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This means the school is required to follow your child’s IEP and provide the services outlined in the plan.
How to Get an IEP for Your Child
Remember: a child is eligible for school services only if the disability adversely affects his/her educational performance.
If your child is struggling in school because of communication issues, neurological differences, or another disability under IDEA, you can follow the steps below to advocate for your child and determine if they qualify for an IEP:
- Talk to your child’s teacher and see how they are doing in the classroom setting.
- Write a specific letter/email to the school outlining your concerns and ask for an IEP evaluation. Be sure to document everything. Send it to the principal, school psychologist, and speech-language pathologist (if an area of concern).
- Be sure to provide any evaluations/testing/reports you may already have.
- If you request an IEP evaluation, the school has 30 days from receiving your request to respond. They may issue a Prior Written Notice, which means they do not suspect a disability, or they may issue a PR-05 form, which requests your consent to evaluate.
- Once you give consent for an IEP evaluation, the school has 60 days to complete full testing in the area(s) of concern. They will write an Evaluation Team Report (ETR), which documents the types of testing done and the testing results. An ETR is conducted every 3 years.
- After the IEP is established, you may request a re-evaluation at any time. You can also request that your child’s IEP team meet to discuss or review the IEP at any time, even if it falls outside of annual meetings and tri-annual ETR meetings.
- If your child qualifies for services, an initial Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting will be scheduled to set up specific goals for your child. Within another 30 days from the ETR and, as soon as possible, services begin. The IEP is reviewed annually.
- This can be a long process, so stay on top of it! Know your rights and your child’s rights. You may be given the document “Whose IDEA is This?”, which is a helpful guide for special education.
Instead of an evaluation, you could ask that your child begin interventions though the RTI (Response to Intervention) process, where your child would be provided with interventions targeting the specific area of concern.
If the school doesn’t feel your child needs further services but you still do/disagree:
- You may request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) – done by an outside site only in the areas tested by the school. The school will provide you with participating locations. An IEE may be paid for at public expense or by the parent, depending on location.
- You can also seek additional services/tutoring/therapy elsewhere.
How to Stay Involved in Your Child’s Progress
- The school will sent periodic reports updating goals. Review these carefully.
- Be sure to attend parent/teacher conferences. Additional professionals working with your child often attend these as well.
- Attend all IEP related meetings. Ask lots of questions.
- Remember: the IEP team is on the same team with you – they want your child to succeed , too!
- Set up time at home for nightly homework and targeting your child’s goals in a natural setting. Your child’s IEP team can give you ideas.
Additional Resources:
- Parent Mentors – free service, parent of a child with a disability employed by each school district, parent who can help answer questions and provide support.
- Parent Advocate – an advocate for you and your child paid by you to help to try and get the services you desire for your child.
- OCECD – Ohio Coalition for Education of Children with Disabilities (Marion, OH) – statewide, non profit organization serving children and their families, and educators, agencies providing service to them.
- Interpreters are available if requested and set up prior to a meeting All of the above can help with transition services
- A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education
- Ohio Department of Education Website
- John Peterson Scholarship – funds for therapeutic services if your child has an IEP but is attending a private school.
- Autism Scholarship – funds for additional therapeutic services if your child has received a diagnosis on the autism spectrum.
- Sign Up for Our Newsletter – Columbus Speech & Hearing’s monthly newsletter highlighting various speech and language topics and resources for all ages.
Glossary
- SLP – Speech-Language Pathologist
- OT/PT – Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy IS – Intervention Specialist
- RTI – Response to Intervention
- ETR – Evaluation Team Report
- IEP – Individualized Education Plan
- IEE – Independent Educational Evaluation
- ODE – Ohio Department of Education