UNDERSTANDING
YOUR CHILD'S
IEP
Let's break it down one section at a time.
Did You Know?
Not every IEP looks the same or puts sections in the same order.
States and school districts may organize their IEP forms differently. One district may put goals near the beginning, while another may list services or accommodations first.
IDEA does not require one specific IEP form or order. It requires that the IEP contain certain information.
So, if your child's IEP looks different from the examples in this guide, that's okay! Look for the information itself rather than expecting it to appear in a specific place.
IDEA Reference: 34 C.F.R. § 300.320
Section 1 — Student Information
Understanding the Student Information Page
The Student Information section is usually the first page of your child's IEP. At first glance it may seem like simple paperwork, but this page establishes important dates, identifies the student the plan applies to, and creates legal timelines that affect reviews, reevaluations, and implementation of services.
Many parents skip over this page because it appears administrative. However, incorrect information here can create confusion, affect timelines, or lead to unnecessary delays if it is not corrected.
IDEA does not prescribe a standardized "Student Information" page. States and school districts design their own IEP forms. IDEA tells schools what information an IEP must contain, but not exactly how the first page must look.
Cover Page — Student Information
What You'll Typically Find
Student Name — Verify spelling and preferred name.
Student ID — District number used to identify your child's records.
Date of Birth — Verify it is correct.
Grade — Your child's current grade level.
School & District — Confirm both are current and accurate.
Primary Disability/Eligibility — The IDEA category under which your child qualifies for special education.
Meeting Date — When the IEP Team met.
Effective Date — When the IEP takes effect.
Annual Review Date — When the IEP must be reviewed.
Reevaluation Date — When reevaluation is due or must be considered.
Case Manager — The staff member who typically helps coordinate the IEP.
Common Mistakes Parents Miss
❌ Assuming the cover page doesn't matter
❌ Wrong school listed
❌ Incorrect grade level
❌ Outdated eligibility information
❌ Incorrect meeting date
❌ Missing or incorrect annual review timeline
❌ Confusing the annual review with the reevaluation
❌ Assuming every district formats this page the same way
Waypoint Insight
Don't judge an IEP by its first page—but don't ignore it either. This page establishes the legal identity of the document. Taking one minute to verify names, dates, eligibility, and timelines now can prevent confusion later in the school year.
Section 1 — PLAAFP (Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance)
Understanding Your Child's Present Levels
The Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP), often called the Present Levels, describe where your child is performing today. This section provides the foundation for the entire IEP by identifying your child's current strengths, areas of need, and how their disability affects educational performance.
Think of the PLAAFP as the starting point on a roadmap. Before the IEP team can decide where your child needs to go, they must first understand where your child is now.
Every major decision in the IEP should be supported by the information documented in this section.
IDEA Requirements
Under IDEA, the IEP must include:
"A statement of the child's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, including how the child's disability affects the child's involvement and progress in the general education curriculum..." (or, for preschool children, participation in appropriate activities).
What IDEA Requires in Present Levels
Academic Achievement → Functional Performance → Impact of Disability
Schools may use good IEP-development practices to organize the PLAAFP into more descriptive sections. These headings are not individually required by IDEA, but they can help the IEP Team clearly document and address IDEA requirements.
You may see sections such as:
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Academic Achievement
-
Functional Performance
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Strengths
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Areas of Need
-
Evaluation & Assessment Data
6.Current Performance / Baseline Data
7.Parent Concerns & Input
8.Impact of the Disability
9.Developmental & Functional Needs
10.Connection to Goals & Services
This is one of the most important sections of the IEP because it answers questions like
What can my child currently do?
Where is my child struggling?
How does the disability affect learning?
What evidence supports these concerns?
What should the IEP address this year?
If a need is not identified here, it may be difficult to justify a goal, service, accommodation, or support later in the IEP.
1.
Student
Strengths
The IEP should identify what your child does well before discussing areas of need.
Examples include:
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Reading strengths
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Math strengths
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Problem-solving abilities
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Creativity
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Social skills
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Communication skills
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Independence
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Interests and motivators
Understanding strengths helps the team build supports around what is already working.
2.
Academic Performance
This section explains how your child is currently performing in academic subjects.
Examples may include:
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Reading
-
Written expression
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Mathematics
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Spelling
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Science
-
Social studies
The description should explain how your child is currently performing, not simply whether they are passing classes.
3.
Functional Performance
Not every challenge occurs in academics.
Functional performance refers to the skills students need to participate successfully in school.
Examples may include:
• Academic testing
• Cognitive assessments
• Speech & language evaluations
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Behavioral assessments
• Classroom observations
• Parent interviews
• Teacher input
• Rating scales
• Medical information (when appropriate)
4.
Parent
Concerns
IDEA requires the IEP team to consider the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child.
Examples may include:
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Homework struggles
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Anxiety before school
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Difficulty sleeping
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Sensory concerns
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Communication challenges at home
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Behavioral concerns outside school
5.
Evaluation
Results
The Present Levels should summarize important findings from:
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Initial evaluations
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Reevaluations
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Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), when considered
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Classroom assessments
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Progress monitoring
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State assessments
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District assessments
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Teacher observations
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Related service evaluations (such as speech-language, occupational therapy, or physical therapy)
The goal is not to copy every evaluation into the IEP, but to summarize the information that is relevant to educational planning.
6.
Educational Impact
One of the most important parts of the PLAAFP is explaining how the disability affects educational performance.
The focus is not simply on the diagnosis, but on how the disability impacts the student's ability to learn, participate, communicate, or access the curriculum.
For example:
Instead of:
❌ "The student has ADHD."
A stronger statement might explain:
✅ "Due to difficulty sustaining attention during independent work, the student often requires multiple teacher prompts to begin assignments and complete multi-step tasks, which affects progress in the general education classroom."
Common Mistakes to Watch For
Vague Statements
Examples:
"Doing better."
"Making progress."
"Continues to improve."
These statements do not explain what has improved or how improvement was measured.
Missing Data
Claims about performance should be supported by data whenever possible.
Look for:
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Percentages
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Accuracy
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Frequency
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Duration
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Observation summaries
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Assessment results
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Work samples
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Progress monitoring
Needs Without Goals
Every significant educational need identified in the PLAAFP should prompt you to ask:
How is this need being addressed elsewhere in the IEP?
A need may be addressed through:
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an annual goal,
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specially designed instruction,
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a related service,
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accommodations,
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behavior supports, or
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another appropriate component of the IEP.
Goals Without Identified Needs
The reverse can also happen.
If a goal appears later in the IEP, ask:
Where in the PLAAFP is the need that supports this goal?
The document should tell one consistent story.
Copy-and-Paste Language
If the PLAAFP looks nearly identical from year to year despite growth or changing needs, ask what new information was considered.
A student's present levels should reflect current performance, not last year's narrative.
Questions Parents Can Ask
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What data supports each statement in this section?
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How recent is the information being used?
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Does this accurately describe my child today?
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Have my concerns been considered and reflected?
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Does the PLAAFP explain how the disability affects educational performance?
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Are the identified needs addressed elsewhere in the IEP?
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Is there objective baseline data for each area of need?
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Does this section describe both my child's strengths and challenges?
1.
What Is an Evaluation?
An evaluation is a comprehensive process used to determine whether a student has a disability and whether that disability creates a need for special education services under IDEA.
Evaluations may include:
• Academic testing
• Cognitive assessments
• Speech & language evaluations
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Behavioral assessments
• Classroom observations
• Parent interviews
• Teacher input
• Rating scales
• Medical information (when appropriate)
Remember: Schools must use a variety of assessment tools rather than relying on one test.
2.
What Is an Evaluation?
An evaluation is a comprehensive process used to determine whether a student has a disability and whether that disability creates a need for special education services under IDEA.
Evaluations may include:
• Academic testing
• Cognitive assessments
• Speech & language evaluations
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Behavioral assessments
• Classroom observations
• Parent interviews
• Teacher input
• Rating scales
• Medical information (when appropriate)
Remember: Schools must use a variety of assessment tools rather than relying on one test.
3.
What Is an Evaluation?
An evaluation is a comprehensive process used to determine whether a student has a disability and whether that disability creates a need for special education services under IDEA.
Evaluations may include:
• Academic testing
• Cognitive assessments
• Speech & language evaluations
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Behavioral assessments
• Classroom observations
• Parent interviews
• Teacher input
• Rating scales
• Medical information (when appropriate)
Remember: Schools must use a variety of assessment tools rather than relying on one test.