Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

Does your school-age child have an IEP?  Well, federal law says exceptional students in public schools have to have one!  What are these letters all about?  And how does it help a student get the right educational services? 

IEP stands for “Individual Education Plan” (it’s also known as an “Individualized Education Plan”).  It’s a core part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal special‑education law that guarantees eligible students a free appropriate public education. 

The IEP is the written plan that is to be tailored to your child.  It has your child’s present level of performance, annual goals, special education services, accommodations, and how progress will be measured.  It’s like a road map to the unique path that is your child’s education. 

Who makes this plan?  A child’s IEP is put together by his or her IEP team.  That team has teachers, administrators, maybe service providers and therapists–and, most importantly, you, the child’s parent!

This means the IEP is important because:

• It’s the way that educational services are tailored for a student

• You have an opportunity to influence the services your child gets in school.

Do all students with a disability get an IEP?  No, only eligible students, who are individuals:

• Who have a disability that meets one of the 13 IDEA-defined categories,  

• Whose disability adversely affects their education (i.e., it must impact the student’s ability to benefit from the general education curriculum), and 

• Who require special education and related services to meet their needs.

Here are resources to learn more about IEPs and how to help create a good one-and what to do if you’re concerned your child’s proposed IEP won’t meet his or her needs.   While these resources are all from Florida organizations, the federal law that requires IEPs applies in all states.