Special Education 101: A Crash Course on the Individualized Education Plan
As a play therapist, I believe that the toys a child chooses and the way they use them are like a foreign language. Understanding this language allows my colleagues and me to meet children where they are and translate their needs for the adults caring for them. Special Education is another language that caregivers sometimes need to learn, and it can be quite a bit more overwhelming than the language of play.
Typically caregivers are thrust into this new Special Education world abruptly, carrying with them worries about their child on their shoulders. Special Education is difficult enough to navigate on its own, let alone when the well-being of someone they care about is at stake.
Don’t even get me started on the acronyms: ARD, IEP, FAPE, LRE, OHI, PWN, IDEA…. I had no IDEA what those meant when I first started working in education! Trying to learn everything felt like drinking water from a fire hose. My hope is that this blog will serve as an informative cheat sheet for the world of Special Education and help you feel at least conversationally fluent in the language of Special Education (SPED) — yes, another acronym for you.
So, what’s the big IDEA?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that has been in effect since 1975. It requires public schools to provide a free and appropriate education (FAPE) to eligible students with disabilities from ages 3-21 and provides legal protections for students and their caregivers. This means that public schools are responsible for finding and evaluating students who have or who are suspected to have a disability, are needing special education services, and providing them with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This federal requirement is known as Child Find.
Tell me more about this IEP, it sounds important!
Special Education is a set of services and supports that can be provided in many different ways and looks different for every individual student; the specific details will be outlined in each child’s IEP. The IEP is crafted by the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee which is typically comprised of an administrator, general education teacher, special education teacher and/or the child’s case manager, caregivers, and the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP; may also be called School Psychologist or SP) that completed an initial evaluation (more about this soon).
Other individuals who can attend ARD meetings include the child (depending on their age and developmental appropriateness), school counselors, providers of related services, special education advocates, child advocates, and even their Ensemble therapist! Really any outside provider can join the ARD, and don’t forget to notify the case manager so they can ensure the right sized space is being reserved for the meeting!
How do we get to the point of the ARD committee creating an IEP?
First, a child is identified as possibly needing support to be successful academically, behaviorally, or functionally.
A child-study team may explore classroom interventions to try first. If they are implemented and data shows the child is still struggling, an evaluation is the next step. A caregiver or the school can request an evaluation, and the process can begin after a caregiver has provided written consent. From there, an LSSP will conduct a Full and Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) which will be used to determine the child’s eligibility for special education based on the disabilities under Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the related services that may be appropriate.
Another way students can be eligible for special education services is through a speech and language evaluation, which is conducted by a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP). Ensemble’s own Kate Curran Mire is an LSSP and a great resource for any questions you may have about evaluations!
Pro Tips:
If you, as the caregiver, make the request for evaluation, put it in writing so that the date of the request can be documented. Evaluation requests typically are sent to the principal, assistant principal, or school counselor. (Your front office team will likely be able to tell you who handles these requests if you’re unsure who the right person is.)
Be sure to mark important deadlines in your calendar during this part of the process. Any deadlines not being met by the school means they are out of compliance and you are well within your right to be an advocate or “squeaky wheel.” (These timelines are specific to Texas and may vary in other states.)
Caregivers must receive Prior Written Notice (PWN), The Notice of Procedural Safeguards, and The Parent’s Guide to Admission, Review and Dismissal Process within 15 school days after the receipt of the request
The FIIE must be completed no later than the 45th school day following the date the school receives written consent for the evaluation
The initial ARD meeting (when the IEP is first created) must be completed no later than 30 calendar days following the completion of the FIIE
Next, the ARD committee will meet and decide whether or not the child is eligible for special education services. If caregivers agree with the eligibility decision, the ARD committee discusses and decides each element of the IEP. If caregivers disagree with the eligibility decision, they have the right to obtain an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) and request a due process hearing to challenge the decision. You can read other ways to resolve an IEP dispute here.
A few more pro tips:
The ARD paperwork can be a lot, so consider requesting to review it in advance of the ARD meeting. Also, know that you do not have to make your decision about pursuing services during the meeting! If you’d like more time to review the proposed services for your child, just let the ARD committee know. Services cannot begin without you signing the paperwork with approval, after all.
What will be written in the IEP?
While the document may look different depending on the program your school district uses, here are the sections that are fairly standard to all IEPs.
Present Levels
How a child is currently doing academically, behaviorally, and functionally
Annual Goals
What the child will work on until the next annual ARD. A well-written goal should be positive, measurable, and contain all of the following: who, what, where, when, how
Measuring & Reporting Progress
A description of how their progress towards meeting annual goals will be measured and how it will be reported to caregivers
Special Education
Accommodations (changes that help a student access the non-modified curriculum) such as preferential seating, extra time, and small group testing and modifications (changes in what is being taught or expected from the student) such as answering different test questions, being excused from particular projects, or being graded by a different standard
Related Services
Any additional support that may be needed in areas such as speaking or moving. Examples of related services are:
Counseling
Occupational Therapy
Audiology
Behavior Support
Physical Therapy
Adapted PE
Extent of Nonparticipation
Clear explanations of why a child is ever placed outside of their regular class, or uninvolved in the general curriculum with their peers. This relates to the principle of the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Service Delivery
How often the services are received (# times per day/week)
How long sessions will last
Where services will be provided (inclusion or resource, more about this below in the FAQ section)
When services will begin and end
Transition Planning
A plan regarding preparation for life after secondary school must exist no later than the child’s 16th birthday
Whether or not the child needs extended educational services over school breaks due to a current or anticipated loss of acquired critical skills
You may be thinking to yourself, “That still feels like a lot; will I ever understand all of this?”
To that, I say, I believe in you and you are not alone!
There are tons of resources and communities out there to help understand the world of SPED, and please hear me when I say there are no wrong questions. Ensemble Therapy also has a handful of therapists who were previous teachers and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. You’ve got this and don’t hesitate to reach out for help!
Here are some other FAQs about the world of SPED.
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A: Autism, Deaf-Blindness, Deafness, Emotional Disturbance, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Noncategorical Early Childhood, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Specific Learning Disability, Speech Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Visual Impairment Including Blindness.
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A: I hear you, if I was in charge that would not be the label I would use. You can read IDEA’s definition of ED here; you’ll notice it basically describes someone who is struggling with anxiety or depression, has experienced trauma, or has some other type of mental health disorder. I recommend you have a conversation with your child to help them better understand what this category really means.
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A: Annual ARDs occur every year to review and update the IEP for the next 12 months, however Review ARDs can be requested prior to the annual by either the school or caregiver if the child is struggling to make progress towards their annual goals or the current goals are not challenging enough! An IEP may also be amended without an ARD meeting to update something like a typo or an accommodation, but cannot be used to change eligibility (how they qualify for SPED services) or placement (ex: the general education classroom vs. the modified classroom). Remember, caregivers should receive PWN before every single ARD meeting, no matter the type.
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A: Students whose disabilities do not adversely impact their school performance to a degree where they need specially designed instruction are covered under 504 plans as opposed to an IEP. Accommodations under 504 plans are typically provided by the classroom teacher and can include extra time or separate rooms for students with anxiety to take tests, time to go to the nurse’s office for medications for students with medical conditions, and more. You can learn more about the differences between IEP and 504 plans in this article.
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A: Yes, your child can have a 504 plan and later change to an IEP, and vice versa.
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A: This goes back to the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The goal of the IEP is to place your child with their peers to the fullest extent possible so that they can be successful in meeting their goals. Collab or inclusion classes typically mean there’s a general education teacher as well as a SPED teacher in the room supporting all students and making sure their needs are being met. A resource room is an additional classroom where students may go with the SPED teacher to receive testing accommodations or review academic content. Self-contained and modified classrooms are where the SPED teacher is responsible for the instruction of academic subjects.
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A: Here is a website that speaks to some of the similarities and differences between private and public schools in special education.
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A: Prior to your child being in special education, you’ll reach out to your general education teacher and the administrator in charge of 504s or IEPs. For any questions after your child has an IEP in place, your first point of contact will likely be the assigned case manager.
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A: First and foremost, a case manager is the person who is responsible for distributing your child’s IEP to every educator who will be working with them during the school year as well as monitoring the effectiveness of the accommodations and modifications. They will be your point person for all things IEP and scheduling ARDs. In some cases, they are also the special education teacher providing support in the general education classroom or providing instruction in alternate settings such as a resource or self-contained classroom.
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A: IEPs do not follow students into college; if continuing education is a part of a high school student’s plan, be sure to discuss this during the transition section of the ARD meeting. There are several options for receiving support in higher education, such as transitioning from an IEP plan to a 504 and receiving accommodations through the college’s disability services office. You can learn more about college disability services here.
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A: While this may have been true for Gen X and Millennial caregivers when we were growing up, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are more socially aware and mental health savvy making them less likely to suffer the same stigma as previous generations.
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A: Why yes, yes you are.
Additional Resources for Caregivers:
IDEA Manual: A Guide for Texas Parents and Students on Special Education Rights - (a highly recommended resource)
WRITTEN BY JAMI LEWIS, MA, LPC Associate, NCC (She/Her/Hers)
Jami Lewis is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-A) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) supervised by Jaclyn N Sepp, MA, LPC-S, RPT-S™, NCC, RYT200 and Leah Gilbert, MEd, LPC-S, NCC. She received her Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling from Texas State University (CACREP Accredited Program) as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Jami is currently working towards her Registered Play Therapist™ (RPT™) credential.
