The IEP: Your Child’s School Plan

An Individualized Education Program, or IEP, is a written legal document that describes the special education services and supports your child will receive in school. IEPs are created for children ages 3 through 21 who have a disability that affects their ability to access education.

For Deaf and hard-of-hearing children, the IEP is one of the most important documents in their school years. It governs what services they receive, how their communication needs are addressed, and what access they have to their education.

The IEP is required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B (20 U.S.C. § 1414; 34 CFR §§ 300.320–300.328). Under IDEA, every eligible child has the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE).

The IEP is not just paperwork. It is a commitment from the school to your child.

The IEP team includes both you and school professionals. Under federal law, a complete IEP team must include (34 CFR § 300.321):

• You — the parent or guardian. You are a full, equal member of the team. Not a guest. Not an observer.
• Your child, when appropriate (especially for older students).
• A general education teacher, if your child is or may be in a general education setting.
• A special education teacher or provider.
• A school district representative who has authority to commit resources.
• Someone who can interpret evaluation results (this may be one of the above).
• Other relevant professionals, such as a speech-language pathologist, audiologist, Teacher of the Deaf (TOD), or interpreter — as appropriate for your child.

You have the right to bring a support person with you to any IEP meeting. This could be an advocate, a trusted friend, a Deaf community member, or an attorney.

Each IEP must include specific components required by federal law. These include:

A description of how your child is currently doing — in academics, communication, social-emotional development, and daily functioning. This section should be specific, accurate, and based on current evaluation data.

Measurable goals your child is expected to work toward over the next year. Goals should be meaningful, specific, and connected to your child’s actual needs — not generic. For Deaf and hard-of-hearing children, language development goals should be explicitly addressed.

A description of every service your child will receive — what it is, how often, how long each session lasts, where it will be delivered, and who is responsible. Services may include speech-language therapy, audiology support, Teacher of the Deaf consultation, sign language interpreter services, or other supports.

Changes to how your child accesses instruction or demonstrates learning. For Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, these may include preferential seating, captioning, FM systems, visual alerts, or extended time.

A description of where your child will receive their education — in a general education classroom, a specialized program, a school for the Deaf, or some combination. This decision must be based on your child’s individual needs, not on what is convenient or available.

Beginning at age 16 (or earlier in some states), the IEP must include transition planning — preparing your child for life after high school, including post-secondary education, employment, and independent living.

For Deaf and hard-of-hearing children, language and communication access is not optional. It is a legal requirement.

Under IDEA, the IEP team must consider the communication needs of every Deaf or hard-of-hearing child (34 CFR § 300.324(a)(2)(iv)). This includes:

• The child’s preferred mode of communication
• The need for direct communication with peers and professionals in the child’s language and communication mode
• Opportunities for instruction in the child’s language and communication mode
• The need for qualified interpreters

American Sign Language is a complete, natural language. If your child uses or is learning ASL, the IEP should reflect that — in goals, in services, and in how access is provided throughout the school day. ASL instruction, Deaf peers, and Teachers of the Deaf are legitimate, research-supported components of an education that supports Deaf children’s full development (Humphries et al., 2012, Language, Cognition and Neuroscience).

Hearing technology — including hearing aids and cochlear implants — does not eliminate the need for communication access planning. Technology should be part of the access picture, not the whole picture.

The Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requirement means schools should educate children with disabilities alongside their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate. For many children with disabilities, this means inclusion in general education settings.

For Deaf and hard-of-hearing children, LRE is more nuanced. A setting that is “least restrictive” in terms of physical proximity to hearing peers may actually restrict access to language, communication, Deaf peers, and role models. The IEP team should consider linguistic access — not just physical placement — when determining LRE (34 CFR § 300.114).

IDEA gives you significant rights throughout the IEP process. These include:

– Right to participate: You are a required member of the IEP team. The school cannot hold an IEP meeting without making reasonable efforts to include you.

– Right to information: You have the right to receive a copy of your child’s IEP, evaluation reports, and procedural safeguards notice at no cost.

– Right to request an evaluation: You can request a special education evaluation for your child at any time, in writing. The school must respond within a legally defined timeframe (34 CFR § 300.301).

– Right to an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE): If you disagree with the school’s evaluation, you have the right to request an IEE — an evaluation conducted by a qualified professional outside the school district — at public expense (34 CFR § 300.502).

– Right to prior written notice: The school must notify you in writing before making any significant change to your child’s identification, evaluation, placement, or services — and must explain their reasoning (34 CFR § 300.503).

– Right to procedural safeguards: You must receive a copy of your procedural safeguards notice at least once per year. This document explains your rights under IDEA in full (34 CFR § 300.504).

– Right to disagree: You do not have to sign an IEP you disagree with. You can sign to indicate you attended the meeting while noting your disagreement, or decline to sign entirely.

– Request the draft IEP in advance. You have the right to review it before signing.

– Write down your questions and priorities.

– Gather any documentation you want to share — medical records, outside evaluations, teacher observations, or your own notes.

– If your child uses ASL or another language, confirm that a qualified interpreter will be present.

– Consider bringing a support person.

– Ask for plain-language explanations of any terms you do not understand.

– Review proposed goals carefully. Ask how each goal connects to your child’s specific needs.

– Ask how services will be delivered and by whom.

– Address communication access directly. Ask how your child’s language needs will be met throughout the school day — not just during therapy sessions.

– Take notes, or ask for the meeting to be documented.

– Do not feel pressured to sign the same day. You have the right to take the document home and review it.

– Keep a complete copy of the IEP.

– Track your child’s progress toward goals. The school must report progress at regular intervals.

– If something is not working, contact the school in writing and document your concerns.

– You can request another IEP meeting at any time.

Not every IEP reflects a child’s full needs. Watch for these signs that something may need to change:

• Goals are vague, unmeasurable, or the same year after year.
• Communication access is not explicitly addressed.
• Your child does not have access to ASL or a signed language if they need one.
• There are no Deaf or hard-of-hearing peers in your child’s school environment.
• Services exist on paper but are not consistently delivered.
• Your input at meetings is not taken seriously or is dismissed.
• You are told placement options are limited due to budget or availability — not your child’s needs.

Any of these may signal a need to advocate for changes, seek an outside evaluation, or pursue dispute resolution.

If you disagree with the school’s evaluation, proposed services, or placement, you have options:

• Request a meeting to discuss your concerns with the IEP team.
• Request mediation: A neutral mediator, provided at no cost, can help both sides reach an agreement (34 CFR § 300.506).
• File a state complaint: Your state education agency must investigate and respond to written complaints about IDEA violations (34 CFR § 300.153).
• Request a due process hearing: A formal legal proceeding where both sides present evidence before an impartial hearing officer (34 CFR §§ 300.507–300.516).

You do not have to use these options alone. Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) are federally funded to help families understand their rights and navigate disputes at no cost.

You are your child’s most important advocate. Learning how the IEP works — and what you have the right to ask for — is one of the most powerful things you can do.

[Prepare for your child’s IEP meeting → /iep-meeting/]

[Explore resources for families → /resources/]

[Learn about language access for your child → /language-access/]

Changes: IDEA Part B citations integrated (20 U.S.C. § 1414; 34 CFR §§ 300.320–300.328, 300.321, 300.324(a)(2)(iv), 300.114, 300.301, 300.502, 300.503, 300.504, 300.506, 300.507–300.516, 300.153). LRE nuance for Deaf children addressed. Humphries et al. (2012) citation included for ASL. Communication access requirements explicitly addressed. All content parent-facing, Grade 6–8. No unresolved placeholders.