An IEP is the plan that you and the school come up with to help your child in school. It lists the special education and services your child needs to be able to learn and make progress. It also explains what your child should be able to do in one year’s time.

Schools needs to give children with IEPs special help so they can do better in school. An IEP lists all the things the school will do
to help. IEPs also give your child protections from being suspended or expelled.

Both a 504 Plan and an IEP help students with disabilities in school. A 504 Plan can give your child special accommodations to make school less hard. Your child can also get special therapies called related services (like speech therapy or social work) through a 504 Plan. If your child needs time with a special education teacher to help her learn academics, then she probably needs an IEP.

An IEP is different from a 504 Plan because it will give your child goals that she is supposed to work on all year. An IEP will put a bigger responsibility on the school to help your child
and it gives you more rights.

A child needs an IEP if she has a disability that makes her struggle in school (learning, behavior, social.), and she needs specialized instruction because of that disability.

These are the disability areas that IEPs target:

1. Other Health Impairment – for students with health issues, like ADHD/ADD.
2. Specific Learning Disabilities – for students who have average intelligence but are still behind grade level in one or more areas.
3. Speech Language Impairments – for students who speak unclearly, who cannot understand what others are saying, or who cannot express themselves.
4. Autism – for students who have significant struggles with communication (speaking/ listening) and social skills.
5. Hearing and Visual Impairments – for students who are completely or partially deaf or blind.
6. Intellectual Disabilities – for students with low IQs who need help learning and taking care of themselves.
7. Orthopedic Impairments – for students who have a hard time getting around and/or doing motor tasks (like writing) because of an illness, disease, or birth defect.
8. Emotional Disabilities – for students with depression, anxiety, or a behavior disorder.
9. Traumatic Brain Injury – for students who continue to have long term effects from a head injury.
10. Developmental Delays – for students age 3-9 who have a delay in their physical development, speech, thinking, behavior, or ability to follow routines/care for themselves in an age appropriate way.

If your child has a disability that stops her from learning and doing well in school, email the school and ask for a “Full Individual Evaluation” to have her tested for an IEP.

See Equip for Equality’s “How to Help Your Child Be Successful in School – Getting a 504 Plan or IEP” fact sheet to learn more
about getting a plan for your child.

Your child can get an IEP from the time she is 3 until she graduates from high school.

You students IEP will list her strengths and needs, the services she gets, the accommodations and modifications she needs, the school and classroom she will be in, and more. Scroll down to read more specifics about what is in an IEP.

If you don’t think your child is not making progress, talk with the team about what can be changed or added to her IEP to make it work better.

Yes, a team can take away your child’s IEP. This can happen if she has made good progress or if her disability no longer significantly hurts her performance in school. Your child may be changed to a 504 Plan or no plan at all.

The school should test your child before taking away her IEP. If you do not agree with the school, request mediation or file for due process within ten business days of that meeting.

See Equip for Equality’s “What to Do When You Disagree with the School” fact sheet to learn more.