IEP - Individualized Education Plans
When a student is found eligible for special education, a case conference/meeting is held. The case
conference committee/school team decides whether the student is eligible and, if so, what supports the
student will need. That information is all written into a plan called the IEP. It is important to understand
both the basics of special education and the Essential Parts of the IEP if you have a child with special
education services.

Alphabet Soup-One of the most confusing parts of attending meetings, learning more and talking to the
school is the "special language" that is used. The most common you may hear or see are:
  • IDEA or Individuals with Disabilities Education Act-The federal law that guides special education.
    Each state also has to have special education laws. In Indiana, they are called Article 7.
  • DOE or Department of Education-The government entity responsibly for overseeing education.
  • LEA or Local Education Agency-This would be the school district or corporation for your child.
  • IEP or Individualized Education Plan-The plan that is supposed to be written specifically for your
    child and includes everything needed for their education. (services, goals, related services, BIP,
    transition, accommodations, modifications, transportation)
  • FAPE or Free and Appropriate Public Education-This is the assurance that all children have a right to
    a public education that is appropriate for them.
  • LRE or Least Restrictive Environment-Children have a right to be educated, as often as possible, in
    an environment or way that they would if they did not have special needs.
  • BIP or Behavior Intervention Plan-This plan is based on the FBA or Functional Behavior Assessment.
    It tells what behaviors the child may have and how the school can minimize or respond to them.
  • NOPS-Notice of Procedural Safeguards.
  • ED or Emotional Disability (Some schools are behind the times and still say EH or Emotional
    Handicap)-The classification for youth who have emotional, behavioral and/or mental health
    concerns that affect their education.
  • TOR or Teacher of Record-A teacher licensed in the area of the student’s suspected disability if the
    student has not yet been determined eligible.
  • TOS or Teacher of Service-Any teacher who provides services to a student with a disability. A
    teacher of service could be a general education classroom teacher or a special education teacher
    who provides instruction to the student.

Note: Most school districts have started using ISTART7 for IEP's. This helps by making sure that all IEP's
across the state look the same.

  • Primary Disability
  • Secondary Disability (if applicable)
  • Reasons of eligibility determinations
  • Special Considerations
  • Behaviors of Concern, Factors Affecting Behaviors
  • Strategies/Instructional Experiences.
  • BIP requires/does not require provision of special education services
  • BIP requires/does not require the provision of related services.
  • Outcomes
  • Reasons for determination of participation in testing
  • Plan for participation in district-wide, national or international assessments
  • Needs that will be addressed
  • Annual goal statement
  • The goal has been written to support
  • Method for measuring progress
  • progress monitoring design
  • standards/elements aligned to goal
  • parameters for graph
  • Accommodations selected for state assessment purposes and provided on a regular basis
  • Services and other Provisions
  • Acknowledgement of Adult Services
  • School of Legal Settlement (This is the school where children who live in your area attend)
  • School of Service (This is where your child goes to school)
  • Educational Program
  • Reasons for Placement determination
  • General Considerations
  • Participation in all educational programs and activities made available to non-disabled students.
  • Participation in all non-educational and extra-curricular activities made available to non-
    disabled students.
  • Participation in general physical education.
  • Educated in the school of legal settlement.
  • Length of instructional day is same as the instructional day for nondisabled peers.
  • Participants
  • Written Notes and Other Relevant Factors (This is where additional notes and information is entered)
  • Notice of Implementation (Agreement, overview of rights, and services start within 10 days after
    signature-unless otherwise agreed)

Related Services: Services which are required to assist a child to benefit from special education. That may
include: speech pathology and audiology, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy,
recreation, early identification and assessment of disabilities in children, counseling and rehabilitation
services, medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes, transportation, school health services,
social work services, and parent counseling and training.

The following is a partial list of related services that may be provided under IDEA or Section 504:
  • Audiology-Audiometric testing, recommendations for amplification systems, hearing aid orientations,
    habilitative activities (language habilitation, auditory training, speech reading, hearing conservation),
    counseling and guidance of children, pupils, teachers & staff regarding hearing loss.
  • Counseling Services-School guidance counselors, social workers, or psychologists provide guidance
    directly in small groups or individual sessions, through consultation with teacher, or through crisis
    intervention.
  • Adapted Driver Education-Specially designed course to teach student with a disability to operate a
    car.
  • Adaptive Technology-Specially designed devices or processes that enable a student with a disability
    to perform tasks more independently.
  • Occupational Therapy-Services designed to improve, develop, or restore functions impaired or lost
    through illness, injury, or deprivation, improving ability to perform tasks for independent
    functioning; or to prevent, through early intervention, initial or further impairment or loss of
    function.
  • Orientation and Mobility-Services designed to increase a visually disabled child's ability to perceive
    and move about within his/her environments with a goal of independent movement and living.
  • Parent Counseling and Training-Assistance to parents in understanding and managing the special
    needs of their child and providing parents with information about child development.
  • Physical Therapy-Services recommended and prescribed by a licensed medical examiner as
    necessary for student to benefit from an education.
  • Recreation-Activities which are therapeutic to accomplish behavioral or cognitive goals and
    objectives or which develop the constructive use of leisure time.
  • Rehabilitative Counseling-Services focused specifically on career development, employment
    preparation, achieving independence, and integration in the workplace and community.
  • School Health Services-Administration of medication necessary to maintain the student during
    school hours.
  • Social Work. Addressing problems in student's living situation that affect his/her adjustment in
    school and mobilizing school and community resources enable him/her to receive maximum benefit
    from his/her educational program.
  • Speech and Language. Habilitation or prevention of communicative disorders.
  • Transportation-Services different from those normally provided which are required due to student's
    disability (i.e. door to door, special bus, supervision, accommodations on bus, modified school
    hours).

Links have been moved to: Education Resources.