THE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN (IEP)

Definition of Individualized Education Plan

An individualized educational plan (IEP) is designed to meet the unique educational needs of one child. The indiidualized education plan should describe how the student learns, how the student best demonstrates that learning and what teachers and service providers will do to help the student learn more effectively.


Determination of Eligibility for Special Education

Before an Individualized Education Plan is written for a child with a disability, the school must first determine whether the child qualifies for special education services. To qualify, the child's disability must have an adverse effect on the child's educational progress. Merely having a disability is not sufficient for eligibility.

To determine eligibility, the school must conduct a full evaluation of the child in all areas of suspected disability. Based in part on the results of the evaluation, the school along with the parents meet to review the results and the child's current level of performance and to determine whether special education services are needed.

If the child is found eligible for services, the school is required to convene a team to determine the nature of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP team).


Role of the Parent

Parents are considered to be full and equal members of the IEP team, along with school personnel. Parents are crucial members of the team because they have unique knowledge of their child's strengths and needs. Parents have the right to be involved in meetings that discuss the identification, evaluation, IEP development and educational placement of their children. They also have the right to ask questions, dispute points, and request modifications to the plan, as do all members of the IEP team.Although IEP teams are required to work toward consensus, school personnel ultimately are responsible for ensuring that the IEP includes the services that the student needs.


Developing the Child's Education Plan

When developing an Individualized Education Plan, the team must consider the strengths of the child, the concerns of the parent for their child's education, results of the initial or most recent evaluation of the child (including private evaluations conducted by the parents), and the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child. In the case of a child whose behavior impedes the child's learning or that of other children, the team must consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports to address the behavior.

The law, IDEA, requiresthat a child's IEP be developed based solely on the child's needs, and not based on pre-existing programs or services available in the district. Whether particular services are available in the district should not be considered when identifying the services a child needs to receive an appropriate education


Determining the Appropriate Placement

After the Individualized Education Plan is developed, the IEP team then determines placement, or the environment in which the child's IEP can most readily be implemented. IDEA requires that the IEP be complete before placement decisions are made so that the child's educational needs drive the IEP development process. Schools may not develop a child's IEP to fit into a pre-existing program for a particular classification of disability. The IEP is written to fit the student. The placement is chosen to fit the IEP.The goal of the IDEA is that, as much as possible, children are to be educated in the same classroom as the child's non-disabled peers in the school nearest the child's home.


For Empowered Parents

In keeping with the spirit of “Understanding the Problem and Managing the Challenges” of learning disabilities, it is noted that this is the point in the special education process that the parent must be prepared with knowledge and information about their child that the team will need in order to do an effective job of designing an individualized plan.

The parents preparation and participation will guarantee the child an appropriate education with all the latest modifications and accommodations to insure that he is not only successful in public school, but that he is prepared to go on to college, or to become employed after graduation from high school.

The parent manual Learning Disabilities, Understanding the Problem and Managing the Challenges provides additional information regarding the process of determining eligibility and other information regarding events that take place before designing the individualized education plan. You may access that additional information by clinking here.

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