Indiviual Education Plans (IEP) help

An IEP should take into account your child's strengths not just his/her weaknesses. The IEP goals should be realistic, attainable, measurable and challenging.

The parts of the IEP are
Present Levels of Performance - this can be an assessment from you,the school, your child's pediatrician or the personel that have been assisting with therapies with your child. I think the parents and the therapy providers are the best (in that order).
Annual Goals - Building on the Present levels of performance, the Goals should engage your child in the general curriculum. They are not intended to maintain present levels. The goals need not be limited to educational. They can be social, behavioral, self-help, or address other educational needs.
Educational Progress - the IEP has to include “a description of how the child’s progress toward meeting the annual goals…will be measured and when periodic reports on the progress the child is making toward meeting the annual goals (such as through the use of quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent with the issuance of report cards) will be provided.” At the very least, you should receive IEP progress reports as often as all the other children. This may mean at the end of the quarter when report cards are issued or however method that your school does it. This means that you will probably get two "grades" one from general ed and one that is just an IEP scorecard.
Special Education and Related Services - this is the aide, the special education one-on-one time, the therapists that will help your child through the day.
Accommodations and Alternate Assessments - this how your child will be taught. Will the school use a certain method of teaching (Touch Math, Hand Writing without Tears, etc)? Will your child take a separate test or have help with tests (an interpreter, etc)? Does you have transportaion concerns for your child that need to be addressed?
Transition - Yes, even at the first IEP meeting when you child is not even 3 years old, you have to decide what is goign to happen after your child graduates. Don't let this be an intimidating concern. You will probably have 14 to 17 more opportunities to get this question right (depending on whether your child goes to school until they are 18 or 21). This can be another place where you show the aides, teachers, principle and administrators that you expect more of your child than minimum education. You expect your child to learn!

The IEP is your contract with the school on how your child is going to participate in school. Because of this they can be scary. Here are some things to avoid and to consider.

Here are some links to help you on your way.

IEP Team Members IEP Questions to ask IEP Common Mistakes

We are not experts but we have been through it (good and bad). If you have any questions, need more information or have something to add, please contact HADSA.