Independent Education Plans (IEPs)

 

An IEP is an individual education plan for a special education child. An IEP is developed through an IEP meeting. The people who determine what the child needs to succeed in school participate in the IEP meeting. These team members must include all of the following:

  • The parent (and any persons the parent wishes to have present)

  • A school administrator or designee (often the Principal or Vice Principal)

  • A regular education teacher

  • At least one special education teacher of the pupil

The team MAY also include:
Educational professionals who are giving reports or making recommendations for services such as Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language, Adaptive P.E., Physical Therapy, or Counseling.

Program specialists, consultants, or other administrators from the school district who have special knowledge of the child or programs available to serve the child.

 

The IEP is the heart of special education and is a legal policy for the child. The IEP enforces accountability and monitors the school.

IEP Dynamics

The law defines a parent's role in the IEP team as child advocate. The parent is an equal participant (federal mandate) with professionals in the decision making process for their special education child.

However, research shows that school districts run IEP meetings in various ways. Some districts operate IEP meetings in a democratic fashion that aligns more closely with the law than other more authoritarian districts that place parents in the role of passive recipients of professional advice (Engle 1988; Hill 1986). Many parents seek help from special education advocates because school districts operate IEP teams differently and can create an atmosphere where the parent doesn't feel qualified to make decisions for her/his child due to a lack of professional credentialing.

•  Parents can contest the IEP. A parent contests an IEP by refusing to sign the IEP document.

Also, if the IEP is not followed by the school, it is the parent's responsibility to either call the school district and discuss the matter or activate the law and challenge the school. This is where special education gets more difficult and time consuming for the parent.