Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
Background
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, (IDEA), Part B, requires that an Individual Education Plan (IEP) be developed for every student who receives special education services. The IEP is a legal and binding document and must be followed as written. By law, IEPs must include:
- present level of academic achievement and functional performance
- statement of special education and related services as well as supplemental aids and services
- measurable annual goals
- how progress will be measured
- modifications and accommodations that will promote progress toward goals
- testing accommodations
- transition planning to prepare for life after high school graduation
ASHA Issue Briefs
ASHA Publications
- New Supreme Court Ruling Might Increase IEP Requirements, The ASHA Leader blog, March 24, 2017
- From Common Core State Standards to Standards-Based IEPs: A Brief Tutorial, SIG 16 Perspectives on School-Based Issues, March 2012, Vol. 13, 17–24
- Collaboration Corner: Rethinking the IEP: Making Language the Foundation of Academics, The ASHA Leader blog, January 17, 2013
- Collaboration Corner: Developing an IEP with C.A.R.E., The ASHA Leader blog, January 21, 2014
- Five Tips to Avoid IEP Legal Troubles, The ASHA Leader, August 2012, Vol. 17
- The IEP Teachable Moment, The ASHA Leader, November 2015
State Resources
- Training on Writing IEP Based on State Standards from the California State Department of Education
- Consensus Points on Language Goals [PDF] a rubric for writing measurable IEP goals from the Minneapolis Public Schools, Minnesota.
- Using the Curriculum to Formulate IEP Goals for Communication Through a Developmental Continuum [PDF] a framework for writing speech-language IEP goals and objectives from Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland.
- Template for Writing IEP Goals and Objectives [PDF] from Community Consolidated School District #62, Des Plaines, Illinois.
- Writing Measurable Goals and Objectives adapted from HCESC Smart Sheet, Chalfant and McGraw
Related Resources
- Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004 website, U.S. Department of Education – Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- The SLP's IEP Companion from LinguiSystems/PRO-ED
- Autism Spectrum Disorders IEP Companion from LinguiSystems/PRO-ED
- Introduction to S.M.A.R.T. IEPs from WETA's Reading Rockets
- IEP Checklist' iPhone App Aims To Level Playing Field from Disability Scoop
- Is Your Child's IEP Individualized?
- U.S. Department of Education, A Guide to the Individualized Education Program
