The IEP Process and Timeline

It Takes a Team

As a part of our training and education, we are taught that it is "best practice" to treat parents as equal members at the IEP table-- to include them in every step of the decision making process-- and that in order to do that, we first have to educate them on what an IEP is and how it works. Quotes around "best practice" because this has become a buzzword in education that I believe is losing its effect as it is overused for under-researched strategies and practices...more on that another time though.

We are taught how to gently and respectfully initiate an evaluation with a student we believe would benefit from special education services. We are taught to explain each step of the process to parents so they can be active participants on their child's IEP team. We are taught to take all of the jargon that is found in an IEP and make it accessible and digestible for parents. We are taught ensure parents understood the benefits, impacts, and possible outcomes of having an IEP.

If you're reading this, and you are a parent of a child on an IEP, was this your experience? Did you feel empowered and supported by your child's school when you first started down the IEP journey? Your child may have been on an IEP for years at this point...do you understand why and when your child is re-evaluated? If you do, did they explain this to you or did you have to research the information on your own? I hope it was that your team taught you the process in a way that you aren't surprised by any steps of the process, but I'd sadly bet this wasn't your experience.

I'm not blaming teachers for this. I'm not even sure who to blame for the lack of parent education provided before and during their child's time in special education. We all know teachers are overworked and hardly have time to eat their lunch, let alone spend 1:1 time with parent to prepare them for the next 1-18 years of their child's life. There should be more supports and systems in place to make sure parents are receiving this information in an accessible and comprehensible way. Procedural safeguards are great and all, and given to parents at least once a year (often more frequently), but that doesn't mean they are accessible or easily understood by parents-- the document's intended audience.

The IEP Process

So let's dive in. My hope is by the end of this article, you will understand what to expect from the IEP process and be able to reference back whenever you are unsure or cannot remember what comes next.

First, let's look at the timeline. The special education timeline can look different for any child, but here is the general guidance.

The process will initially begin with a request of referral for special education, parents will then be required to sign a consent form before evaluation can begin. The team will then hold an evaluation meeting and determine the student's eligibility for special education. The student may be determined as ineligible. If the student is eligible for special education, an IEP meeting will be held, services will be provided, and the IEP will be reviewed annually. Eligible students must be re-evaluated every three years.

The IEP Timeline

1. Request or referral for evaluation

• Referral: Schools provide tiered supports and interventions to support all students. This is typically referred to as Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RTI). The bottom tier is for students performing at grade level, tier two is targeting intervention for students who are struggling, and tier 3 is for students receiving intensive intervention (special education, behavior intervention plan, etc.). School follow procedures to support students and work to move them to a lower tier when applicable. When a student is not making progress with targeted instruction (tier 2) they may be referred for a special education evaluation.

• Request: A request for an evaluation by a parent can occur at any time in the process, but is likely to be what triggers an initial evaluation. If you suspect your child could use the support of special education services, you can request an evaluation. *Schools may tell you that they will only accept a request in writing. While this is not the correct way to respond, I'd recommend requesting in writing via email regardless as it holds the school accountable.

2. Consent for evaluation

• Regardless of who initiates the evaluation, signed consent is required prior to the special education team starting the evaluation. Consent can be revoked by parents at any time during the evaluation timeline (also suggest in writing).

• The special education team is required to honor evaluation requests by parents. Consent should be sent home for parent signature within a reasonable amount of time.

3. Initial evaluation

• The special education team has 60 days from receiving consent to complete evaluation and hold the evaluation meeting with parents.

• Parents are likely to receive questionnaires, interviews, and/or rating scales by various evaluators to contribute to the evaluation.

4. Evaluation meeting and eligibility determination

• Within the 60 day time limit (calendar days, not school days), the team must schedule and hold a meeting to review final evaluation results with parents. Meeting may be rescheduled beyond the 60 days if parents are unavailable.

• After evaluation, the team (including parents) discuss possible eligibility categories. If a student is determined ineligible for special education, the process moves directly to "ineligible for services." If this is the case, the team should discuss other possibilities in how the student can be supported (ie. Return to MTSS tier 2 with a different approach, 504 plan, etc.).

• There are 13 possible special education disability categories. It is important for parents to understand that a disability category is not the same as a medical diagnosis. For example, your child may have a medical diagnosis of autism, but may or may not qualify for special education under the category: Autism Spectrum Disorders. They may not qualify for special education at all, or they may qualify under a different category.

  • It may not feel affirming if you are confident your child has a disability that differs from the category they are determined eligible for. This happens though because these are simply categories, not specific diagnoses. It is not your special education team's intention to gaslight your family. Share your input if you are passionate about a specific category for your child, but understand the decision can only be made based on the evidence provided in the evaluation report.

  • 13 categories for special education eligibility: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, serious emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment

5. IEP Meeting

• If the student is determined eligible for special education in at least one category, the team may either schedule an IEP meeting, or continue straight from the evaluation meeting into the IEP.

• The IEP should be drafted by the team prior to the meeting, but nothing is official until the team (***parents are a part of the team***) agrees with it.

• If you, the parent, do not agree with the what is listed you can request that the IEP not be finalized until the team can reach an agreement. You can also end the meeting at any time and request a follow-up IEP meeting.

6. After the IEP Meeting

• Services and supports listed begin immediately after the IEP meeting.

• The IEP must be finalized by the case manager within 10 days of the IEP meeting unless parents request another meeting.

• Annual IEP Review: The IEP must be reviewed and update once a year. The meeting must be scheduled within 1 year of the previous IEP, but may be rescheduled past that due to parent unavailability. Goals and accommodations are updated each year. Placement/learning environment/eligibility cannot be changed without a re-evaluation.

• Triennial evaluation: Every three years, students on IEP's are required to be re-evaluated for services. This ensures their eligibility category, supports, and services are appropriate. Parents or team members may request an re-evaluation at any time if deemed necessary.

Let us know what questions you have about the IEP process or what other topics I can break down for you.