by Cheryl Abney

Created on: September 10, 2010   Last Updated: September 13, 2010

Special children warrant special consideration to help them succeed at school. This thought permeates the government's creating, and 2004 revision of, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The regulations responsible for the content and fulfillment of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) are defined in the IDEA. Individual Education Plans impact children greatly by providing the help their physical or mental handicap demands in order to realize school success.

The primary but not exclusive members of an IEP team - school administrator, counselor, both the general education and special education teachers, staffing specialist and parent - meet at least annually to create a plan for each eligible student. Middle and high school students may attend also, and younger students when appropriate, particularly at middle and high school transition meetings. In order to realize the impact of an IEP on a child’s education, consider the following elements addressed within its pages.

Goals and benchmarks:

Specific goals for reading, math, language, behavior, as well as the related services, are written in the IEP. These goals indicate the levels the student is expected to reach by the end of the academic year. Benchmarks are written for each goal to identify the increments the child must achieve in order to reach the target. These appear on progress reports sent home with the student’s grade cards, so parents are aware of how their child is faring. Goals and benchmarks provide a measure of the child’s growth and help the IEP team make future decisions that will impact the child’s learning.

 Setting:

The IEP states where your child will receive their academic lessons and for what part of the day.

* Will they receive their course work in a general education inclusion class with nondisabled peers?  
* Will they receive their lessons in a resource room? They may start out the day in a homeroom setting and then go to a resource room with other children needing the same help for a portion of the school day.
* Will the child remain in a separate ESE (Exceptional Student Education) classroom with a special education teacher for the entire time?

The IEP team must decide on the least restrictive environment that will provide the program that best meets the unique needs of the student.

Related services:

The IEP provides goals and benchmarks for other services as well as academic instruction. Occupational and/or physical therapy,

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