Clear answers for the road ahead
Plain-language guides, real preparation, and honest stories — written for parents fighting for their child's plan, not for lawyers.
FeaturedWhat Your Child's IEP Is Really Promising
An IEP is not paperwork — it's a written promise the school makes to your child. Here's how to read it so you can tell the difference between a real commitment and a vague one.
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Meeting prepWalk Into the IEP Meeting Prepared, Not Lost
The meeting moves fast and the table is crowded with school staff. A little preparation changes everything — here's exactly how to get ready.
Know your rightsFive Parent Rights That Change the Whole Conversation
You hold more power in the special education process than most parents realize. These five rights, used calmly and in writing, level the table.
Deadlines & timelinesThe IEP Deadlines That Quietly Protect Your Child
Special education runs on a calendar. Knowing the key deadlines turns 'we'll get to it' into a date the school has to meet.
Know your rightsCompensatory Education: Making Up the Services Your Child Missed
When a school fails to deliver the services in the IEP, your child may be owed make-up support called compensatory education. Here's what it is and how to raise it calmly.
Family storiesFrom "As Needed" to Real Speech Therapy: One Family's Turn
A composite story we hear often: how one parent turned a vague service line into a specific, countable promise — without a lawyer.
Understanding the planRelated Services in an IEP: OT, PT, Speech, and More
Related services are the extra supports — speech, OT, PT, counseling, and others — that help a child benefit from special education. Here's how related services in an IEP work and what to check.
Understanding the planGetting a 1:1 Aide Into the IEP: Making the Case for a Paraprofessional
A 1:1 aide can be the support that makes school work for your child — but it has to be needs-based and written down. Here's how to build the case for a paraprofessional in the IEP.
Understanding the planAccommodations vs. Modifications: What's the Difference?
Accommodations and modifications sound alike but do very different things. Understanding accommodations vs. modifications helps you choose the right support — and avoid an unintended tradeoff.
Understanding the planRed Flags Hiding in Plain Sight in Your IEP
Most weak IEPs aren't obviously broken — they're quietly vague. Here are the soft spots that look fine until you know what to look for.
Know your rightsIEP and Private School: What Services Your Child Can Still Get
If you place your child in private school, special education doesn't simply disappear — but it does change. Here's an honest look at IEP services and private school.
Understanding the planPresent Levels of Performance (PLAAFP): The Foundation of the IEP
The present levels of performance, or PLAAFP, is the data snapshot the entire IEP is built on. Here's what a strong one looks like — and why vague present levels sink the whole plan.
Deadlines & timelinesFrom Early Intervention to a Preschool IEP: The Age-3 Handoff
When your child turns three, services shift from early intervention to the school district. Here's how the early intervention to preschool IEP transition works — and why to start early.
Know your rightsParental Consent in Special Education: When It's Required and What It Means
Parental consent is the hinge the special education process turns on — required at key moments, always voluntary, and revocable. Here's what parental consent in special education really controls.
Understanding the planIEP vs. 504 Plan: What's the Difference?
Two plans, two different laws, two different levels of support. Here's how to tell which one fits your child — in plain language.
Understanding the planThe IEP Transition Plan: Preparing for Life After High School
As your teen approaches adulthood, the IEP transition plan maps the path to work, more school, and independent living. Here's what a strong IEP transition plan includes.
Deadlines & timelinesThe Triennial Reevaluation: Your Child's Three-Year IEP Checkup
Every three years, your child's IEP gets a fuller look through a triennial reevaluation. Here's what it is, why it matters, and why you shouldn't casually waive it.
Understanding the planDyslexia and the IEP: Getting Real Reading Help
Dyslexia can qualify a child for an IEP, and the school is allowed to say the word. Here's how a dyslexia IEP should address reading — with structured literacy and measurable goals.
Know your rightsHow to Request an IEP Evaluation (and What to Put in the Letter)
Everything starts with a written request. Here's how to ask the school to evaluate your child — and exactly what your letter should say.
Understanding the planThe IEP Eligibility Meeting: How a Child Qualifies
The IEP eligibility meeting is where the team decides whether your child qualifies for special education. Here's the two-part test they use and how to prepare for it.
Understanding the planADHD: Does Your Child Need an IEP or a 504 Plan?
ADHD can qualify a child for either an IEP or a 504 plan, depending on how much support they need. Here's how to tell whether ADHD points to an IEP or 504 — and how to ask.
Know your rightsChild Find: The School's Duty to Look for Kids Who Need Help
Child Find is a duty most parents have never heard of: schools must actively identify and evaluate children with suspected disabilities. Here's what child find in special education means for you.
Understanding the planAutism and the IEP: What Strong Support Actually Looks Like
Every autistic child is different, so a strong autism IEP is built around your child — not a template. Here's what meaningful support tends to include, and what to look for.
Understanding the planIEP Goal Examples: What a Strong, Measurable Goal Looks Like
A good IEP goal reads like a promise a stranger could check. Here's how to spot a strong one — and fix a weak one — with real examples.
Understanding the planThe 13 Disability Categories Under IDEA, in Plain Language
IDEA recognizes 13 disability categories that can make a child eligible for an IEP. Here's a plain-language walk through all 13 — and why the category matters less than the need.
Understanding the planFBA and BIP: How a Functional Behavior Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plan Work
Behavior is communication. A functional behavior assessment finds the why behind it, and a behavior intervention plan turns that into a real plan. Here's what strong ones look like.
Know your rightsIndependent Educational Evaluation (IEE): Your Right to a Second Opinion
If you disagree with the school's testing, you may have the right to an independent educational evaluation at public expense. Here's what that means and how to ask for one.
Know your rightsManifestation Determination: Your Child's Protection Against Unfair Discipline
When a student with an IEP faces a long removal for behavior, the school must hold a manifestation determination meeting first. Here's what it asks, and why it protects your child.
Know your rightsWhat to Do When the School Isn't Following the IEP
The plan is signed, but the services aren't happening. Here's a calm, step-by-step way to get your child's IEP back on track.
Know your rightsWhat to Do When the School Refuses to Evaluate Your Child
When a school refuses to evaluate your child, that 'no' isn't the end — it triggers rights and written explanations. Here are your options when the school refuses to evaluate.
Know your rightsStay Put: The Right That Keeps Your Child's Placement During a Dispute
If you formally challenge a change to your child's IEP, a rule called "stay put" keeps them in their current placement while the dispute plays out. Here's what stay put in special education does and doesn't cover.
Know your rightsCan the School Hold an IEP Meeting Without the Parent?
Can a school hold an IEP meeting without the parent there? Only in narrow circumstances, and only after real effort to include you. Here's what the law requires — and your rights.
Know your rightsDue Process vs. Mediation vs. State Complaint in Special Education
When talking it out isn't enough, special education gives you three formal paths. Here's due process vs. mediation vs. a state complaint — what each is, and when each one fits.
Know your rightsPrior Written Notice: The Right Most Parents Have Never Heard Of
When the school decides something about your child, it has to tell you in writing — what, why, and what it considered. Here's how to use that right.
Meeting prepCan You Bring an Advocate to an IEP Meeting? Yes — Here's How
You don't have to walk into an IEP meeting alone. Federal law lets you bring an advocate to an IEP meeting — or a friend or relative. Here's who can come and how to prepare them.
Know your rightsWhat to Do When You Disagree With the IEP
You don't have to sign an IEP you disagree with, and you have more options than "accept it" or "go to court." Here's the calm ladder of steps to take when you disagree with the IEP.
Meeting prepCan You Record an IEP Meeting? What to Know Before You Hit Record
Can you record an IEP meeting? Sometimes, but the answer depends heavily on your state and your district's policy. Here's how to find out — and how to ask the right way.
Know your rightsYou Can Request an IEP Meeting Any Time — Not Just Once a Year
The annual review isn't your only chance. As a parent you can request an IEP meeting any time the plan stops working — here's how to ask, in writing.
Meeting prepWho Attends an IEP Meeting? The Required Team, Explained
Who attends an IEP meeting isn't left to chance — federal law names the required members. Here's who has to be there, who may be excused, and why it matters to you.
Deadlines & timelinesThe IEP Evaluation Timeline: How Long the School Actually Has
Once you ask for an evaluation, the clock starts. Here's how the timeline works, step by step, so "we're getting to it" has a deadline.
Deadlines & timelinesThe Annual IEP Review: How to Prepare in One Evening
Every IEP gets an annual review at least once a year. You don't need days to get ready — here's how to prepare for the annual IEP review in a single focused evening.
Meeting prepQuestions to Ask at an IEP Meeting That Actually Change the Plan
The right questions at an IEP meeting do more than fill silence — they shape the plan. Here are the questions to ask at an IEP meeting, and why each one matters.
Deadlines & timelinesIEP Progress Reports: What to Expect and When
Your child's IEP promises regular progress reports — here's how often they should come, what they should actually tell you, and what to do when they're vague or missing.
Meeting prepYour First IEP Meeting: What to Expect, Step by Step
Walking into your first IEP meeting is easier when you know the shape of it. Here's what to expect, step by step, so nothing catches you off guard.
Understanding the planExtended School Year (ESY): Does My Child Qualify?
Some children need IEP services over the summer to keep what they've learned. Here's what ESY really is — and how to know if your child should have it.
You've got this. We've got you.
IEP Path decodes your child's plan, flags what's weak, and drafts the letters you need — so you walk into every meeting prepared.