Content of Individualized Education Plans

All children with disabilities in special education must have either an individualized education program (IEP) or an individualized family service plan (IFSP).  Generally speaking, IEPs are for preschool and school age children while IFSPs are for children under three (those in early intervention).   Both are developed by teams that include the child's parents, but their contents differ in some significant ways.  So, for parents getting ready to move from Part C to Part B of IDEA, here's a quick overview of the different legal requirements for plan content:

Statement of Current Capacity

IFSP requires:

• Present level of physical, cognitive, communication, social, and adaptive development
  
• Family needs, resources, priorities, and concerns regarding their child’s development

IEP requires:

• Present level of academic and functional performance
  
• How disability affects inclusion in appropriate activities
  

Statement of Goals

IFSP requires:

• Measurable results expected
  
• Criteria and procedures, used to determine progress or need for revision
  
• Timeline to determine progress
  

IEP requires:

• Measurable annual goals for inclusion in the general curriculum and to meet all other needs
  
• How progress toward goals will be measured
  
• How often progress reports will be given to parents
  

Statement of Services

IFSP requires:

• Specific early intervention services necessary to meet the child’s needs
  
• Specific early intervention services necessary to meet family’s needs
  
• Start date, frequency, intensity, duration, and method of delivering all services.
• Identification of service coordinator
  

IEP requires:

• Special education services
  
• Related services
  
• Supplementary Aids and Services
  
• Program modifications and supports
  
• Start date, frequency, location, duration, and relationship of all services to goals

Inclusion Explanation

IFSP requires:

• Natural environments in which services will be provided
  
• Explanation of extent services not provided in a natural environment

IEP requires:

• Explanation of extent child is not with peers
  
• Explanation of extent child is not taught general curriculum
  

Transition Plan

IFSP requires:

• Steps to be taken to support transition to preschool or other services
  
• Coordinator to be named who will be responsible for transition

IEP requires:

• Planning for post-secondary transition when the child becomes 16