In the 2019-2020 school year it was estimated that 7.4 million kids had IEPS in the United States. But what is an IEP? An IEP is an Individualized Education Plan. It is a document that outlines a kid’s current performance (both the good and areas that need improvement) as well as goals for the year that will be worked on in order to begin to close the gap through specialized instruction or related services. Working in many different districts I can tell you that how the IEPs are written are not created equally. IEPs are written to paint a picture for anyone who may be serving as a provider for your kid and if the IEP is not written as well as it could, it could greatly impact the progress that your kid makes. 


Signs of an IEP that could use improvement:

  1. The description of your child’s abilities and areas of improvement are 50% or more repeated from the previous year. I say 50% because it is good to keep evaluation data in as it helps the team understand how your child did on standardized assessments, whereas the write up should describe more of a day to day. 
  2. The goals and objectives have been repeated with minor vocabulary changes. (i.e. With teacher support, Johnny will complete all homework → With fading support or Independently, Johnny will complete all homework) 
  3. The goals and objectives are not measurable. (Wait, what?) You have to be able to quantify the improvement (or lack thereof) the child has been making. 

These are just some examples of things to look out for… there are many, many more. 

Signs of a well written IEP:

  1. Your child’s current levels in Language Arts, Math and Other Academic, Non-Academic reflects insightful information that no matter who read it, they would be able to imagine the strengths and weaknesses. 
  2. Goals and Objectives are written in a way that is measurable and your progress reports are quantifiable. 
  3. Goals and Objectives completely align to the areas of concern. 

For parents, the entire process can be one that is both overwhelming and confusing. I often get calls from friends to understand what has taken place at their meeting or what their IEP means and it is why I wanted to begin consulting for families as well as supporting. If you have concerns about your child’s performance and suspect there may be a disability, reach out. Alternatively, if your child has an IEP or a 504 and would like support in understanding the process as well as someone who can review everything, reach out to me. 

I offer services in reviewing your documents, preparing you for team meetings as well as the ability to attend your meetings if you require the support of someone who knows how to navigate the process. Contact for more information!