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Individualized Education Programs

In 1975, U.S. Public Law 94-142, known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, reauthorized in 1990 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), required that public schools provide free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities. One of the law’s central means for reaching the stated goal is the individualized education program (IEP). The IEP serves as a legal document that spells out the special education supports and services for a particular student with disability. It is created by a team consisting of educators, service providers, administrators, parents, and, when appropriate, the student who will be receiving the extra supports. The purpose of this entry is to provide an overview of the IEP, who makes up the IEP team, what are the contents of the IEP, and what is the process for developing an IEP plan.

The IEP Team

The IEP team creates, reviews, and/or revises a student’s IEP. It must include (1) the parents or guardians of the student, (2) if the student is to participate in the general education environment, at least one general education teacher, (3) one special education teacher or service provider, (4) an administrator or representative of the school district or public agency, and (5) an individual who is qualified to interpret results from student evaluations. Additional, but not necessarily required, team members include (6) the student, (7) other individuals who have special expertise regarding the student, and (8) if the student is over 15 years of age—when transition services (e.g., for postsecondary education) must be included in the IEP—representatives from transition agencies.

Parents or Guardians

The parents or guardians are vital members of the IEP team. Their role includes providing information about their child’s education and about his or her strengths, interests, and preferences. Parents and guardians are also able to describe how the student uses skills outside of the school setting. Parents should be full participants in IEP discussions and decisions regarding services, activities, and supports.

General Education Teacher

The general education teacher must be part of the IEP team if the student is participating in a general education classroom setting. The general education teacher should be able to share information regarding the general education curriculum, as well as what services and supports might help the student succeed in the general education classroom. The general education teacher also needs to be involved in the development of IEP goals, particularly behavioral goals, to ensure that appropriate IEP goals are set and will help the teacher with classroom management.

Special Education Teacher or Service Provider

The special education teacher’s role is to lead the discussion regarding specially designed instruction, development of IEP goals, and suggestions for specific accommodations and/or modifications of the curriculum, as well as what assessments will be made of a student’s progress in school. This role may also be filled by a special education service provider such as speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists, that is, anyone providing specially designed instruction or procedures for students with disabilities. The special education teacher or service provider will be often responsible for implementing the student’s IEP. This includes sharing information with other educators and service providers regarding their responsibilities for carrying out the requirements of the IEP.

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