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Do you have questions about IEPs? You are not alone! You'll find articles, law and regulations, and tips about how to get quality services in your child's IEP on this page. You'll also learn how to use tactics and strategies to negotiate with the school. This page includes IEP cases, recommended books, and free publications about IEPs.

IEP FAQs

IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEPs for Children with Behavior Problems - IDEA 2004 and the special education regulations include specific requirements for IEPs of children whose behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others -- including training teachers to use positive behavioral interventions and strategies

How Will IEPs Change Under IDEA 2004? New requirements for special education teachers, IEPs, and scientifically based instruction for children with disabilities.

How Can I Get My Child's IEP Revised? Can parents ask that the IEP be revised? Answers to questions about when and why to revise IEPs.

IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEPs for Children with Behavior Problems - IDEA 2004 and the special education regulations include specific requirements for IEPs of children whose behavior impedes their learning or the learning of others -- including training teachers to use positive behavioral interventions and strategies.

IDEA 2004: Changing Schools and IEPs - 1 week, 1 month, 90 Days? When a child transfers schools, when must the new school provide services in the IEP? Find out what IDEA 2004 says about providing comparable services for children who transfer.

IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEPs & IEP Meetings - How did IEPs change under IDEA 2004? What does the law say about developing, reviewing and revising IEPs? Who may be excused from IEP meetings, when, how? When can the child's IEP be changed without an IEP meeting? What services must be provided when a child transfers to a district in the same state? A different state? What are “multi-year IEPs”?

IDEA 2004: Can the IEP Team Prepare a "Draft IEP?" IDEA 2004 discourages the use of "draft IEPs" because they send a message that parental concerns and parental participation are not valued. Since some IEP teams will continue to use draft IEPs, Pat Howey describes the pros and cons and how you can turn a lemon (draft IEP) into lemonade.

IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEP Team Members & IEP Team Attendance - Learn about IEP team members and IEP team attendance, when team members may be excused from a meeting, and what parents and the school district must do before a team member may be excused.

IDEA 2004: IEPs, Highly Qualified Teachers & Research Based Instruction - Learn about new language in IDEA 2004 that is designed to ensure that children with disabilities are taught by highly qualified teachers and receive research based instruction. This article includes new requirements for personnel training, IEPs, and scientifically based instruction.

10 Tips: How to Use IDEA 2004 to Improve Your Child's Special Education Program - Parent attorney Wayne Steedman explains how IDEA 2004 creates a higher standard for a free, appropriate public education and how parents can use IDEA and NCLB to obtain a better IEP for their children. Learn how to include research based instruction in the IEP and ensure how to that the IEP goals are comprehensive, specific -- and measurable. Wayne advises you about pitfalls to avoid and provides advice about how you can resolve disputes without resorting to a due process hearing - and what you should do if you cannot resolve your dispute.

Game Plan: Write SMART IEPs - From teachers to parents, it seems like everyone is confused about how to write good IEP goals and objectives. This Wrightslaw Game Plan about SMART IEPS will help you get started.

Your Child's IEP & Progress in the General Curriculum - Your child's IEP should be based on information from current evaluations (present levels of educational performance) and your state's curriculum and standards .

Your Child's IEP: Practical and Legal Guidance for Parents. This comprehensive article describes IEPs and the IEP process, including:

Present levels of performance	Is IEP Adequate? Sufficient?
Measurable goals and objectives	Educational Benefit and FAPE
How to Measure Educational Progress	A Valuable Tool: Appendix A
Objective Testing v. Subjective Observations	Understanding the Parental Role
Passing Grades and Grade Inflation	Sample IEP Goals

IEPs for Success by Dr. Barbara Bateman. Frustrated with one-size fits all IEPs that are not tailored to the child's unique needs? Feeling intimidated at IEP meetings? Dr. Barbara Bateman will teach you how to write IEPs that are educationally useful and legally correct. This article includes extensive discussion of transition and transition plans.

Accommodations and Modifications. Some children with disabilities need accommodations and modifications to their special education program. This 4 page printer-friendly article defines accommodations and modifications that may be included in the IEP; gives examples for books, curriculum, instruction, assignments, and behavior.

8 Steps to Better IEP Meetings: Play Hearts, Not Poker by Jennifer Bollero, Esq. Mother of child with autism explains that parents need to learn the ules and strategies, to reduce the risks when you negotiate for your child. "Your child's IEP should never be a gamble. Know what your goals are and work them. Many roads lead to the same place. Many different cards can win the game."

School Must Offer an IEP to Child with a Disability. The child has a disability, school does not write an IEP or provide FAPE. In Knable v. Bexley, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issues a clear, well-written decisions about IEPs, IEP meetings, child find, substantive and procedural violations, and tuition reimbursement.

Support for School Personnel and Parent Training: Often Overlooked Keys to Success by Susan Bardet, Esq. To help children learn and succeed, IEP teams can use the tools provided by IDEA, including support for school personnel and training for parents.

To Promote or Retain. If you have a child with a disability, you may face a tough decision. Many schools offer two "solutions" to children's learning problems: retention and referral to special education - and do not offer the third "R" - remediation. Facts about Retention.

Use Appendix A as a Tool. Learn how to use Appendix A to answer questions about IEPs, IEP meetings, IEP teams, when the IEP should be revised, the parental role, transition, and other topics.

Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Teacher, Advocate and Attorney. To write IEP goals and objectives that are tailored to the child's unique needs, you need to learn how to interpret educational and psychological test results. (NOTE: To ensure that you get the graphics in this article, you may want to print the article from the screen, rather than download it.)

Legal Requirements for Transition Components of the IEP. Dr. Barbara Bateman, co-author of Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives, teaches you about transition, IEPs, self-advocacy for students, confidentiality, and more.

Tactics & Strategies: IEP Goals and Objectives. How can you get good goals and objectives in your child's IEP? What can you do if the school wants to use subjective "teacher observations," not objective testing in the IEP? How can parents avoid "methodology disputes?" Pete and Pam Wright teach you to use tactics and strategies in IEPs.

Tactics & Strategies: How to Use a Parent IEP Attachment. Confused at IEP meetings? Do you find that your questions are not answered? In this article by advocate Judy Bonnell, you learn how to use a simple form to track your requests, the school's response, issues that were resolved and issues that are still on the table.

Tactics & Strategies: IEP Meetings (Or Playing 20 Questions with the Devil). Frustrated at IEP meetings? Meeting with an IEP team that will not answer your questions? Parent attorney Sonja Kerr teaches an approach for dealing with the IEP meeting quagmire. If you are preparing for an IEP meeting, read Sonja Kerr's advice.

IEP Law and Regulations

Amanda C. v. Clark County Sch. Dist. and Nevada Dept. of Ed, U. S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit issues strong decision for child with autism. Court cites research about ABA/Lovaas treatment; describes purposes of the IDEA; IEPs and procedural safeguards.

Evans v. Rhinebeck New York tuition reimbursement case; judge discusses components of an appropriate IEP for a child with dyslexia; vague subjective IEP goals and objectives.

T. H. v. Palatine Decision focuses on an appropriate program for a young child with autism; includes excellent discussion of vague subjective IEP goals and objectives. (in pdf)

Kanawha v. Michael M. Court analyzes"appropriate" in the context of Rowley; discussed educational benefit; provided guidelines to determine if an IEP is appropriate. Kanawha v. Michael M. is one of Pete's favorite cases "not because it has great precedence, but because it does an excellent job of describing difficulties in the legal definition of 'appropriate'and how to use 'appropriate'in developing an IEP."

Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives by Barbara Bateman and Cynthia Herr. The heart of the law is the child's written Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives teaches educators and parents how to write IEPs that are legally correct and educationally useful.

IEP and Inclusion Tips by Anne Eason and Kathleen Whitbread - Learn how to prepare for IEP meetings, create legally correct and educationally sound IEPs, ensure access to the general curriculum, track educational progress, and form effective parent-school partnerships. Features more than 100 tips to help parents, teachers and administrators share goals and develop healthy working relationships.

How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up? by Diane Twachtman-Cullen. Step-by-step guide to writing IEPs; includes sample goal & objective templates for areas of functioning typically neglected in IEPs Includes recommendations for teaching strategies, educational programming formats & useful resources.

The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed Child. This useful book by attorney Lawrence Siegel is filled with organization and planning tips, sample letters and forms; information about IEPs. More info

Preparing Instructional Objectives teaches you to identify, select, and write educational objectives. You learn how to describe the performances you expect to achieve, identify the conditions under which you expect the performance to occur, and set criteria for acceptable performance.

Measuring Educational Results by Robert Mager. How do you know if a child is learning and making progress? You measure the results of instruction to determine if objectives and benchmarks have been achieved. This easy-to-read book gives you tools to measure instructional results. Learn more about Measuring Instructional Results.

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition (ISBN: 978-1-892320-16-2, 456 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", perfect bound) by Peter Wright and Pamela Wright, published in 2007, is available in two formats: a print book and a print & e-book combo. The book includes:

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition is available in two versions: as a print book and as a print book & e-book combo.

Print book (456 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", perfect bound, $29.95 plus shipping) Order

E-book and Print Book Combo (456 pages, 8 1/2" x 11", perfect bound, $44.95 plus shipping) When you order the Special Education Law E-book and Print Book Combo, you'll receive a link to the Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition E-book (3.8 mgs) immediately. The text in the Special Education Law E-book is identical to the print version. The E-book has bookmarks, page thumbnails, hyperlinks to hundreds of references, and is designed to help you find information on specific topics quickly and easily (Value: $15.00). Order

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition is designed to meet the needs of parents, teachers, advocates, attorneys, related services providers, school psychologists, administrators, college professors, hearing officers, and employees of district and state departments of education.

Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind

Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind (ISBN: 1-892320-12-6) by Peter W. D. Wright, Pamela Darr Wright and Suzanne Whitney Heath is published by Harbor House Law Press and includes the No Child Left Behind CD-ROM.

Surviving Due Process: When Parents and the School Board Disagree

Free Pubs & Resources

A Guide to the Individualized Education Program published by the U. S. Department of Education. Learn how to write IEPs that improve teaching, learning, and educational results. Article includes contents of the IEP; IEP team members; writing the IEP; placement decisions; implementing the IEP; revising and revising the IEP; resolving disagreements about the IEP; sample IEP form, information and resources, the federal regulations for IEPs, and guidance about IEPs. Download

Designing Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Plans from ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to prepare students with disabilities for employment and independent living. Transition planning that involves students and their families leads to post-school success and independence. Article describes how to design quality IEP transition plans. Download