An Individualized Education Program (IEP) provides personalized learning plans for students with disabilities who require specialized instruction and services. But who exactly qualifies for an IEP?
Navigating the eligibility criteria can be complicated, with piles of documentation and regulations around IEPs. If you don’t want to read through all of that right now, let me give you a quick overview of who qualifies for an IEP.
IEP Eligibility Criteria
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law governing IEPs, to qualify for an IEP a child must:
Be of School Age
Most states offer IEP services to eligible students from ages 3 through 21. Yes, as young as three years old.
Have a Disability
IDEA recognizes 13 categories of disabilities which we will cover next.
Require Special Education
Not every child with a disability requires specialized instruction and services. The disability must affect their ability to learn and participate in the general education curriculum.
13 Disability Categories That Can Qualify for an IEP
Here are the 13 IDEA disability categories and what they mean:
1. Autism
This includes conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. Autism spectrum disorders can influence a child’s ability to interact, communicate, and learn in traditional classroom settings.
2. Deaf-Blindness
Refers to combined hearing and visual impairments where the combination creates unique needs that cannot be met by programs solely for deaf or blind children.
3. Deafness
Deafness implies a hearing impairment so severe that the child cannot process linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification devices.
4. Emotional Disturbance
Refers to exhibiting one or more specific emotional or behavioral difficulties over a long period and to a marked degree.
5. Hearing Impairment
An impairment in hearing ability but not to the degree of deafness. It must adversely affect the child’s educational performance.
6. Intellectual Disability
Involves significantly below average general intellectual functioning and deficits in adaptive behaviors.
7. Multiple Disabilities
Having a combination of two or more of the other disabling conditions.
8. Orthopedic Impairment
Includes conditions caused by congenital anomalies, disease, or other causes. Examples are cerebral palsy, amputations, or conditions secondary to trauma.
9. Other Health Impairment
Having limited strength, vitality or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems like ADHD, diabetes, epilepsy, or heart conditions.
10. Specific Learning Disability
A disorder affecting the understanding or use of spoken or written language. Common examples are dyslexia (reading), dysgraphia (writing), or dyscalculia (math).
11. Speech or Language Impairment
Refers to communication disorders such as stuttering or impaired speech articulation.
12. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
An injury to the brain, caused by an external physical force, that results in loss of function.
13. Visual Impairment, Including Blindness
Having severely impaired vision even with correction, affecting educational performance.
Remember, even with one of these disabling conditions, it must negatively impact the child’s ability to learn and fully participate in the general curriculum to be eligible for specialized instruction and services through an IEP.
The IEP Evaluation and Eligibility Determination Process
So how is it determined if a student qualifies for an IEP under IDEA criteria? Here is an overview of this multi-step process:
1. IEP Referral
The evaluation process typically starts with a referral, usually requested by either parents or teachers, asking the school to assess if the student requires an IEP.
2. Full Evaluation
The school then conducts an extensive review including assessments and observations to determine if the child meets eligibility criteria.
3. IEP Team Meeting
If the evaluation suggests the need for an IEP, a team develops a plan for the student. Members include parents, regular and special education teachers, and related services personnel as needed.
4. Try Interventions First
However, interventions within the general education setting are usually attempted first before considering formal special education services and an IEP referral. This is the multi-tiered system of supports or response to intervention (MTSS/RTI) process.
When students struggle academically or behaviorally, MTSS provides additional, targeted instruction or interventions over increasing levels or “tiers” to help them improve. Students are monitored over time to see if they respond positively before referring them for evaluations or special education.
The Tiers in a Multi-Tiered Intervention System
Here is some insight into tiered interventions from the early grades through high school:
Tier 1 – Universal Interventions
Classroom teachers try different teaching strategies and accommodations for all students before referring any individual child for evaluations. Examples include:
- Accommodating different learning styles
- Ensuring clear instructions
- Incorporating teamwork
- Implementing learning tools for all students
- Use of educational technology
- Providing rewards or consequences for behavior
- Regularly checking student comprehension
- Encouraging active student participation
Tier 2 – Targeted Small Group Interventions
Students not progressing adequately with only universal classroom supports receive supplemental interventions in small groups targeting specific skill deficits. These can include:
- Small reading or math groups
- Social skills training
- Classroom aide support
- Computerized learning programs
Tier 3 – Intensive Individualized Interventions
For students still struggling after tier 2 efforts, more individualized academic or behavioral interventions are attempted, such as:
- One-on-one tutoring sessions
- Counseling with the school psychologist
- Speech/language therapy
- Remedial summer programs
Only after exploring intensive interventions like these over time would a student then be considered for a full evaluation and IEP eligibility determination.
While this process aims to help students, it does take considerable time. A child may fall significantly behind academically before receiving IEP services and specialized instruction tailored to their learning needs.
Fortunately, parents can provide supplemental support at home in the meantime with programs like the Learning Success System. This online system works with children on foundational learning skills often weak in those with learning disabilities. Building these skills – like auditory memory, visual tracking ability, and information processing speed – helps students better understand instruction at school and self-correct when they don’t. Parents can get started right away even while beginning the IEP evaluation process.
Conclusion
Determining who qualifies for specialized education services through an Individualized Education Program involves showing that the child:
- Is of school age
- Has a disability recognized by IDEA
- Struggles in school specifically due to that disability
This eligibility process includes attempted classroom interventions first before a full evaluation for an IEP referral can be made. While not fast or always smooth, understanding criteria and procedures is necessary for parents seeking additional support for a child with a disability experiencing academic or behavioral challenges.
With some foundational academic skill building and consistent parent advocacy along the way, the child has a greater chance of unleashing their brilliance over time.