Individual Education Program (IEP) - How do you qualify? What is an IEP?

An Educational Consultant can help you and your child to obtain an IEP.

An Educational Consultant is specially trained to understand the needs of your child and what services would benefit them, especially when it comes to children who have an impairment such as Autism or ADHD. Because an Educational consultant has a background in education, they can speak directly to school districts in a way that will make progress, while advocating for the family's needs.To see more on Educational Consulting visit our page!

Who qualifies for an IEP?

A student, aged 0-26 years, with any of the following disabilities, qualifies for an IEP;• Cognitive Impairment• Emotional Impairment• Hearing Impairment• Visual Impairment• Physical Impairment• Other Health Impairment (ADD, ADHD, Epilepsy or other medical condition)• Speech and Language Impairment• Early childhood developmental delay• Specific Learning Disability• Severe Multiple Impairment• Autism Spectrum Disorder• Traumatic Brain Injury• Deaf-BlindnessThe student must have a documented disability AND the disability MUST negatively impact progress in the general education curriculum for the student to qualify for services. What is an IEP?

• An IEP is an Individual Education Plan.
• An IEP is a legally binding contract between the school district, student, and parents.
• An IEP plans out how the district ensures every child will make progress in the general education curriculum while maintaining as much time as possible with their general education peers.
• An Educational Consultant can help you navigate through the process of an IEP and ensure that it will meet your child’s needs.

What does an IEP include?

An IEP includes several sections:

1. DemographicsParents should carefully check that the information contained on this page is correct. This section will also contain a space for all participating team members to sign. This does NOT mean you are signing consent or agreement to the plan, only that you were present at the meeting.
   1. This page will also contain a section for eligibility and boxes to check for which categorization the child qualifies for.
2. Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional PerformanceThis section will contain either a narrative section, domains in which the child may be struggling, or both.This section is extremely important! No accommodations or services will be granted unless they are supported in this section by data.
3. Goals and objectivesEach main goal should have two shorter-term objectives. Goals should reflect the content standards for the areas in which a student is struggling.I.e. students should not have math or reading goals if they do not have a documented deficit in those areas.
4. Supplementary Aids and servicesThis section will state which program(s) the student will be placed in, resource, self-contained, teach consultant, etc. and the length and frequency of said services.
   1. Ancillary services, such as Physical Therapy, Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy and Social work will also be listed in this section. The length and frequency of services are absolute – the district May Not provide less time than is specified.
5. Programs and ServicesThis section covers all accommodations the student will receive. It specifies the conditions and subject areas to which the accommodations will be provided. Again, these accommodations must be justified in the “Present Level Section”.
6. AssessmentThis section will specify which assessments are appropriate for the student and which accommodations the student will receive.
7. Notice for Provision of Programs and ServicesThis section basically states that the IEP was written and provides FAPE (free and appropriate public education). The parent does not sign this page. A school district designee will sign.