The IEP describes present levels of performance, strengths, and needs, and creates measurable goals based on this data.
It provides accommodations, modifications, related services, and specialized academic instruction to ensure that every eligible child receives a "Free Appropriate Public Education" (FAPE) in the "Least Restrictive Environment" (LRE).
[4] In all cases, the IEP must be tailored to the individual student's needs as identified by the IEP evaluation process, and must help teachers and related service providers (such as paraprofessional educators) understand the student's disability and how the disability affects the learning process.
[6] As long as a student qualifies for special education, the IEP is mandated to be regularly maintained and updated up to the point of high school graduation or prior to the 21st or 22nd birthday.
The IEP must be designed to provide the child with a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
Accommodations do not involve modifying the material's content but rather allows students to receive information or to demonstrate what they have learned in ways that work around their impairment, thereby minimizing the likelihood of a significant disability.
They may also write shorter papers or be given different projects and assignments in replacement of the original task.
[citation needed] Accommodations may also include provisions such as preferential seating, providing photocopies of teacher notes, giving oral rather than written quizzes, extended time for tests and assignments, use of a word processor or laptop, taking tests in a quiet room, prompts and reminders for focus breaks for sensory needs, and assistance with specific subject areas.
[8] Modifications can be made to the program's content, such as lowering criteria for academic success, decreasing alternative state assessments, such as off-grade level assessments, or allowing the student to receive a "focused grade"—a grade that is recognized in a high school diploma, but is noted as "focused".
This instruction is designed by or with an appropriately credentialed special education teacher or related service provider.
When including such an IEP recommendation, the team describes the components of the appropriate type of methodology, as opposed to naming a specific program.
[10] To determine eligibility, the school must conduct a full evaluation of the child in all areas of disability.
When children are diagnosed early, they can start receiving services at earlier stages of development.
[4] The parent or school may also bring other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, for example, speech and occupational therapists.
[4] Parents have the right to be involved in meetings that discuss the identification, evaluation, IEP development, and educational placement of their children.
They also have the right to ask questions, dispute points, and request modifications to the plan, as do all members of the IEP team.
[citation needed] Most schools do not automatically provide parents a knowledgeable person to guide them through the IEP process.
[13] IEP's are not automatically given to children whose parents believe they need special education resources.
The school is mandated to make an effort to ensure that at least one parent is present at each IEP team meeting.
Using the results of the full individual evaluation (FIE), the IEP team works together to identify the student's present level of educational performance, as well as the student's specific academic and any related or special services that the child needs in order to benefit from their education.
[citation needed] A matrix is drafted containing the student's present level of performance, indicators about ways the student's disability influences participation and progress in the general curriculum, a statement of measurable goals that include benchmarks or short-term objectives, the specific educational services to be provided which include program modifications or supports, an explanation of the extent that the child will not participate in general education, a description of all modifications in statewide or district-wide assessments, the projected date for services to begin and their expected duration, the annual statement of transition service needs (beginning at age 14), a statement of inter-agency responsibilities to ensure continuity of services when the student leaves school (by age 16), and a statement regarding how the student's progress will be measured and how the parents will be informed in the process.
A child can only be placed in a separate school or special classes if the severity or nature of the disability prevents the student from receiving an appropriate education in the regular classroom, even with the use of supplementary aids and services.
[20] When determining placement, the starting assumption must be the student's current academic level and needs as evident by the disability.
Research suggests students with special needs benefit from being included in general education and its curriculum.
This setting is available for students who spend between 40 and 79 percent of their time in the general education classroom.
The term "resource" in this context refers to the amount of time spent outside general education, not the form of instruction.
They are allowed to work in small, highly structured settings with a special education teacher.
[citation needed] The school's special education program is funded by the federal government.
[26] There is limited consensus if extra time on tests compensates for a student's processing speed difficulties or if it would benefit all students with and without disability by inflating scores, possibly related to the limited consistency in eligibility and the length of extra time granted between studies.
[27] In some cases, people may go undiagnosed because of strong visual memories and oral skills they possess, which can mask symptoms of having an impaired learning disorder.