A Question & Answer Guide.
Have you ever heard of an IEP before? I’ve noticed that many homeschooling families have questions involving these important documents, and I’d like to offer some clarity on them for you. Today, we’re going to answer the whats, ifs, and whens on all things IEP related. Let’s get to it!
What Is an IEP?
An IEP is an Individualized Education Program is a legal document that is developed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It’s sole purpose is to outline the special education services, supports, and goals for a student with a disability.
Okay…But, What Does It Really Do?
Think of an IEP as a road map designed for your child’s success. Each IEP is unique, just like your child. It serves as an advocate for your child in traditional school and therapeutic settings, because you may not be there to advocate for them. Individualized Education Plans aim to:
- Empower Your Family: Parents are active participants in the decision-making process, allowing your voice to be heard, even when you aren’t present.
- Define Educational Goals: Academic, behavioral, and functional targets are broken down for each child’s specific needs. It acts as a guideline for professionals to work with, to keep your child on track.
- Outline Available Services: Speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, and more are all mentioned in your child’s IEP, if it has been decided that your child could benefit from those services.
- Outline Specific Accommodations: Extended test time, assistive tech, or even modified assignments can be excellent accommodations for your child. Every learner requires different environments or tools to succeed. An IEP orders your child’s providers to offer these accommodations.
- Ensure Legal Protections: Aside from the accommodations, an IEP works to guarantee access to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). In other words: No Discrimination Allowed!
Who Qualifies For an IEP?
In order to qualify for the protection and benefits that an IEP offers, you must meet the following criteria:
- The child must have a disability that falls under one of IDEA’s official categories.
- The disability must adversely affect the child’s educational performance, requiring specialized instruction and services.
Disability Categories Under IDEA
Here are the recognized categories that may qualify a student for an IEP:
Disclaimer: This is a highly simplified list and may not include all of the information needed to determine if your child is eligible for an IEP. Your child’s physician, therapist, or a disability resource center can further assist you in determining if an IEP could be attained.
| Disability Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Specific Learning Disability | Includes dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia; affects reading, writing, math |
| Speech or Language Impairment | Issues with articulation, fluency, or expressive/receptive language |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder | Affects communication, social skills, and behavior |
| Emotional Disturbance | Includes anxiety, depression, or conduct disorders that impact learning |
| Intellectual Disability | Below-average intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior |
| Other Health Impairment | Includes ADHD, epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, and chronic illnesses |
| Hearing Impairment | Partial hearing loss affecting communication and learning |
| Deafness | Severe hearing loss that impairs processing of linguistic information |
| Visual Impairment | Includes blindness or partial sight that affects educational access |
| Deaf-Blindness | Combination of hearing and vision loss |
| Orthopedic Impairment | Physical disabilities affecting mobility or motor skills |
| Traumatic Brain Injury | Acquired brain injury impacting cognitive or physical function |
| Multiple Disabilities | Co-occurring disabilities that require complex educational support |
How Do You Get an IEP?
If you and your child’s care team wish to pursue an IEP, the process typically involves these steps:
- Referral for Evaluation– A parent, teacher, or specialist submits a written request for evaluation. The school reviews the request and seeks parental consent before evaluations begin.
- Comprehensive Evaluation– The child is assessed in areas like academics, behavior, speech, and motor skills. This process is very low stress, in my own experience. The team simply wishes to talk to your child, to you, and to interact with them using various toys and tools in the room. I was present for my son’s evaluation, and it was easy-breezy.
- Eligibility Determination– A team (including parents) reviews results to determine if the child qualifies under one of the 13 IDEA disability categories.
- IEP Meeting– The team (parents, teachers, specialists) meets to draft the IEP, including goals, services, accommodations, and placement. For me, the professionals asked me what my goals were for my son, and they included those goals in the IEP, along with others that they recommended, with my consent.
- Implementation– Once signed, the school must begin services within a set timeframe (usually 10 school days).
- Annual Review & Updates– If a child meets these criteria, an annual IEP evaluation and meeting takes place to update the plan.
But, What About Homeschoolers?
My son had an IEP, and we tried traditional schooling when he was very young. I will say that our personal experience was fine, but I knew my son could benefit with more one-on-one intervention. Once I began my homeschooling journey, our IEP was never seen again (except to apply for disability benefits).
While homeschoolers aren’t legally required to have an IEP, creating one (or a homeschool version) offers several benefits:
- Clarity: An IEP helps you structure learning goals and track progress for your child. If you want/need that structure, it can be a great resource!
- Access to Services: In some states, homeschoolers with an IEP may qualify for district-provided therapies or evaluations (these are the disability resources I used my son’s IEP for).
- Transition Support: It can be useful to have an IEP if your child is returning to public school or applying for accommodations later in life. You never know how your circumstances will change. Save yourself a headache later by keeping up with your child’s IEP each year.
- Collaboration: Guides, tutors, co-op leaders, or therapists working with your child will all be on the same page. You’ll have a team of support backing you and your child up, no matter where you go!
Do you have to have an IEP as a homeschooler? Of course not. Since you have taken on the responsibility as your child’s educator, it’s up to you if you want to use one or not.
I empathize with the fact that it can seem like a long and daunting process. I can be. However, there are real benefits to having an IEP in place. I’m lucky enough to live in a state that offers scholarships to children with disabilities, and you best believe we take all the help we can get. Without my son’s diagnosis evaluation and IEP in place, these resources wouldn’t be accessible.