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