What Needs To Be In An IEP

Make sure that the following is always in your child’s IEP:

1. PLOP (Present Level Of Performance)

Essential Elements

Key Question: What is the child doing now?

Purpose: To describe the unique needs of the child that will be addressed by special education and related services, and to establish a baseline of measurable information that serves as the starting point for developing goals and objectives/benchmarks.

Definition: The present level of performance specifies:

• the strengths of the child
• the unique needs of the child
• parental concerns
• how the child's disability affects their involvement and progress in the general curriculum

Key Characteristics:

• measurable
• objective
• functional
• current
• identifies any special factors
• describes both academic and non-academic areas
• includes the results of most recent evaluation or re-evaluation (e.g. formal and informal educational performance data, state and/or district assessments)
• establishes a baseline of information used in writing goals, short term objectives and benchmarks

Writing Strategy: Describe the behavior the child is doing in objective, measurable terms.


2. All IEP goals and objectives must be obtainable (realistic and what your child can achieve within a year), measureable (criteria and prompt levels stated), the methodology stated (how the skill will be taught or the delivery of instruction), evaluation (specify evaluation procedure and schedule), and who is going to teach this to your child.

How To Write An IEP and Goals and Objectives for the IEP- How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up? by Diane Twachtman-Cullen


3. Transition Checklist (from the book: Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success by Brenda Smith Miles, page128 and 129). Check all that applies to your child’s needs and add to the IEP.


4. Academic Modifications (from the book- Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success by Brenda Smith Myles, page 129 – 134). Check all that applies to your child’s needs and add to the IEP.


5. Training Session is to be conducted before school starts including all teachers, aides, counselors, administrators, bus drivers, etc., who will have contact with your child to provide information on the specific behavioral, academic, and emotional concerns of your child. Things that need to be covered at the training session are from the book- Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success by Brenda Smith Myles, page 128 and 129. Specify exactly what you want done at the training session and add it to the IEP.


6. List of all the aide’s responsibilities and put in the IEP (from the book- Asperger Syndrome: A Practical Guide for Teachers, Val Cumine, 2002, page 32 – 33.) Check all that applies to your child’s needs and add to the IEP.


7. Behavior plans must be a part of the IEP. If a child's behavior interferes with his or her learning, a behavior plan is required. Have training and supports for staff included in the IEP. Make sure the BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) covers specific areas your child needs to work on, and does not include globally applied words like “appropriate.”


8. Every service and support needed (this also includes assistive technology) for your child must be written in the IEP.


9. The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written document that is developed for each eligible child with a disability. The Part B regulations specify, at 34 CFR §§300.320-300.328, the procedures that school districts must follow to develop, review, and revise the IEP for each child. The document below sets out the IEP content that those regulations require.

Individualized Education Program