How to read your child's IEP — a plain-language guide

Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)

This is the most important section of the IEP — and the one most parents skip.

The PLAAFP describes where your child is RIGHT NOW across all areas being addressed: academic skills, communication, social-emotional development, motor skills, and behavior. Every goal in the IEP should grow directly from the PLAAFP.

What to look for:
• Does it describe your child specifically, or does it sound like it could apply to any autistic kid?
• Are there specific data points? ("scored at the 12th percentile on X assessment" vs. "has difficulty with reading")
• Does it include your child's strengths, not just deficits?

Red flag: if the PLAAFP is identical or nearly identical to last year's, the team may not have re-evaluated your child recently. Push for updated assessments.

Goals — what to look for and what to push back on

IEP goals must be measurable — but many aren't written that way. A legally compliant measurable goal includes:

1. Who: your child
2. What: the specific skill or behavior
3. How well: the criteria for mastery (e.g., "8 out of 10 trials," "with 80% accuracy")
4. When: the timeframe (usually one year)
5. How measured: the method (observation, standardized test, work samples)

Example of a weak goal: "Emma will improve her communication skills."
Example of a strong goal: "Emma will use a two-word utterance to request a preferred item in 4 out of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions."

If a goal doesn't meet all five criteria, you can (and should) ask for it to be rewritten before signing.

Services — the section where parents most often lose ground

The services section lists what support your child will receive: speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA, resource room support, specialized instruction, etc.

For each service, the IEP must specify:
• Frequency (how often — e.g., 2x per week)
• Duration (how long each session — e.g., 30 minutes)
• Provider (who delivers it — e.g., certified SLP)
• Location (where — e.g., pull-out vs. push-in)

Common issues to watch for:
• Services that decreased from last year without explanation or new data justifying the reduction
• Group therapy counted the same as individual therapy (a 1:4 group session is very different from 1:1)
• "Consultation" counted as a direct service (your child should receive direct service minutes, not just teacher consultations)

Any reduction in services requires an explanation in the IEP. If you disagree, you can document your objection before signing.

Accommodations vs. modifications — a critical difference

These two words are used interchangeably in conversation but mean very different things legally.

**Accommodations** change HOW your child learns or is assessed — same content, different delivery. Examples: extended time on tests, preferential seating, tests read aloud, breaks allowed.

**Modifications** change WHAT your child is expected to learn — different or reduced content. Examples: fewer math problems, simplified reading passages, alternate grading scale.

Modifications can affect whether your child earns a standard diploma in some states. If your child has modifications in core subjects, ask your IEP team to explain the graduation pathway implications.

Transition planning (age 14–16+)

Starting at age 14 in most states (16 in some), the IEP must include a transition plan that addresses:
• Post-secondary education or training goals
• Employment goals
• Independent living goals (where applicable)

The transition plan should be driven by your child's expressed interests and preferences — not just what the school thinks is realistic. If your teenager has never been asked what they want to do after high school, that's a gap in the process.

Transition services might include vocational training, job shadowing, college visit support, life skills instruction, or community-based experiences. Ask specifically what transition services are being provided, not just planned.

After you read it: three things to do before the meeting

1. Write down your questions. Bring them on paper. IEP meetings move fast and it's easy to forget what you wanted to ask.

2. Note anything that doesn't match reality. If the PLAAFP describes a child you don't recognize, say so. You know your child in the home context the school team doesn't see.

3. Don't sign at the meeting if you're not ready. You have the right to take the IEP home and return it signed within a reasonable period. Signing under pressure is how problematic IEPs get locked in.