If your child has an IEP or a 504 Plan, you have probably been handed a mountain of paperwork containing enough acronyms to make your head spin.

IDEA. IEP. FAPE. LRE. FBA. BIP. IEE.

And then someone says, “We’ll put that in the PWN.”

You smile and nod while thinking, What exactly did you just say?

I get it.

Special education has its own language, and unfortunately, knowing the language can make it much easier to advocate for your child.

So let’s translate some of these terms into actual parent language—and then talk about something even more important:

What do you do when the plan isn’t being followed?

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First: An IEP and a 504 Plan Are Not the Same Thing

An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, commonly called IDEA.

An IEP is for students who meet IDEA’s eligibility requirements for special education and related services.

A 504 Plan falls under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, a federal civil rights law that prohibits disability discrimination in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

A student can qualify for Section 504 protections without qualifying for an IEP.

And a student who has an IEP also has protections under Section 504.

The two systems overlap, but they are not interchangeable.

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IEP Terms Parents Should Know

IDEA — Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IDEA is the federal special education law.

It establishes requirements for identifying and evaluating students with disabilities and providing eligible students with special education and related services.

Parent translation:

IDEA is the law that provides the framework for special education and IEPs.

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IEP — Individualized Education Program

The IEP is the written plan for your child.

It should describe your child’s individual educational needs and the special education, related services, accommodations, supports, and goals designed to address those needs.

It should not simply be a generic document that could belong to any child in the school.

Parent translation:

The IEP should answer:

What does my child need?

What will the school provide?

Who will provide it?

How often?

And how will we know whether it is working?

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FAPE — Free Appropriate Public Education

You will hear this acronym constantly.

FAPE means Free Appropriate Public Education.

Under IDEA, eligible students are entitled to special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs.

The word “appropriate” is important.

FAPE does not mean that a school has to provide every service a parent requests simply because the parent believes it would be helpful.

It means the school must provide the educational services required under the applicable law based on the student’s individual needs.

Parent translation:

Don’t just ask:

“What does the school usually do?”

Ask:

“What does my child need?”

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LRE — Least Restrictive Environment

LRE stands for Least Restrictive Environment.

IDEA requires that, to the maximum extent appropriate, students with disabilities be educated with students who do not have disabilities.

That does not mean every student belongs in a general education classroom all day.

The appropriate placement depends on the individual student.

A child might receive special education services:

• In the general education classroom
• In a resource room
• In a specialized classroom
• Through a combination of settings
• Or in another appropriate placement

Parent translation:

The question isn’t simply:

“Can we keep my child in the general education classroom?”

The question is:

“What placement allows my child to receive an appropriate education while being educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate?”

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Present Levels of Performance

You may see PLAAFP, which stands for Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance.

This section describes where your child is currently functioning.

It can include academics, but it can also include things such as:

• Communication
• Behavior
• Social skills
• Executive functioning
• Mobility
• Independence
• Daily living skills

Parent question:

“Does this actually describe my child right now?”

If the information is outdated, the goals and services that follow may not accurately reflect your child’s needs.

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Annual Goals

IEP goals describe what your child is expected to work toward.

Parents should understand:

• What the goal is
• What the starting point or baseline is
• How progress will be measured
• How often progress will be reported

Don’t be afraid to ask:

“How will we measure whether my child is making progress?”

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SDI — Specially Designed Instruction

This is another term parents should understand.

Specially Designed Instruction is individualized instruction adapted to address the student’s disability-related needs.

It is different from simply giving a student an accommodation.

For example, extra time on a test might be an accommodation.

Specialized instruction targeting a student’s specific learning needs is something different.

Parent translation:

An IEP should not simply be a list of accommodations.

Your child may also need individualized instruction.

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Related Services

Related services are services necessary for a student to benefit from special education, depending on the student’s individual needs.

They can include services such as:

• Speech-language services
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Counseling
• Transportation
• Other appropriate services

The important question isn’t simply whether your child has a particular diagnosis.

The question is:

What does this child need to benefit from their education?

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FBA — Functional Behavioral Assessment

An FBA, or Functional Behavioral Assessment, is used to better understand behavior.

Instead of simply saying:

“This child is having behavior problems.”

an FBA attempts to understand what is happening around the behavior and what function the behavior may serve.

For example:

• Is the child trying to escape a difficult task?
• Is the behavior communicating a need?
• Is attention involved?
• Is there a sensory component?
• Is something in the environment contributing?

Parent question:

“What does the data tell us about why this behavior is happening?”

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BIP — Behavior Intervention Plan

A BIP is a plan for addressing behavior.

A good behavior plan should do more than tell adults what consequence to give a child.

Parents should understand:

• What behavior is being addressed
• What may be triggering it
• What replacement skills are being taught
• What adults should do
• How progress will be measured

The goal should be more than:

“How do we make the behavior stop?”

It should also be:

“What skill does this child need to learn instead?”

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PWN — Prior Written Notice

Prior Written Notice is an important procedural protection under IDEA.

When a school proposes or refuses certain actions related to identification, evaluation, educational placement, or FAPE, the school must provide parents with notice explaining the action and the reasons for it.

If the school says no to an important request, you can ask:

“Can you please provide Prior Written Notice explaining the school’s decision?”

This is much more useful than simply walking away from a meeting knowing that the answer was “no.”

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Procedural Safeguards

IDEA provides parents with procedural safeguards.

These are legal protections involving things such as:

• Parent participation
• Educational records
• Evaluations
• Consent
• Independent educational evaluations
• Prior Written Notice
• Mediation
• State complaints
• Due process

Parents should receive information about these safeguards at required points in the process and can request a copy.

Read them.

You don’t have to memorize them.

But knowing where they are can be incredibly helpful when you need them.

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IEE — Independent Educational Evaluation

An IEE is an Independent Educational Evaluation.

There are specific rules governing when parents may obtain an IEE at public expense.

This is an area where you should read your procedural safeguards and understand your state’s procedures before assuming that an outside evaluation will automatically be paid for by the school.

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Now Let’s Talk About 504 Plans

Section 504 is a federal civil rights law.

It protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination based on disability in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

In schools, a 504 Plan may provide accommodations, aids, services, or other supports that allow a student with a disability to access education.

And this is important:

A student does not have to qualify for an IEP to potentially qualify for Section 504 protections.

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Common 504 Accommodations

Depending on the individual student’s needs, accommodations might include:

• Extended testing time
• Preferential seating
• Reduced-distraction testing
• Breaks
• Assistive technology
• Accessible materials
• Extra time between classes
• Health-related accommodations
• Alternative ways of demonstrating knowledge
• Communication supports
• Environmental accommodations

The important thing is that accommodations should address the student’s disability-related needs.

A 504 Plan shouldn’t simply be a generic checklist.

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FAPE and 504

Here’s another place where things can get confusing.

Students protected under Section 504 have rights related to an appropriate education, including FAPE under Section 504’s own requirements.

But FAPE under Section 504 is not identical to FAPE under IDEA.

An IEP operates under IDEA.

A 504 Plan operates under Section 504.

Same acronym.

Different legal framework.

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So What Happens When the Plan Isn’t Followed?

This is where parents often become frustrated.

You went to the meeting.

You discussed your child’s needs.

Everyone agreed on the plan.

You signed the paperwork.

And then…

Nothing.

Or at least, not everything that was supposed to happen.

Maybe your child’s extended testing time isn’t happening.

Maybe the teacher doesn’t know about the accommodations.

Maybe related services aren’t being delivered as written.

Maybe your child is repeatedly being removed from instruction.

Maybe the progress reports don’t seem to match what you’re seeing.

So what do you do?

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Step 1: Know What the Plan Actually Says

Before you can determine whether something isn’t being followed, you have to know what was agreed to.

Read the IEP or 504 Plan.

Look for:

• Accommodations
• Services
• Frequency
• Duration
• Goals
• Placement
• Supports
• Who is responsible

Keep a copy somewhere you can easily access it.

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Step 2: Document

This doesn’t have to become a 47-tab spreadsheet.

Although if spreadsheets are your thing, I fully support your journey.

A simple notebook or document can work.

Write down:

Date

What happened

What the plan says

Who you contacted

What response you received

For example:

October 3 — Student was given a test without the small-group testing accommodation listed in the IEP.

Specific information is much more useful than:

“The school never follows the IEP.”

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Step 3: Ask Questions Before Assuming Intent

Start with the simplest explanation.

Sometimes the issue is communication.

You can say:

“I noticed that the accommodation wasn’t provided on this assignment. Can you help me understand what happened?”

That gives the school an opportunity to correct the problem.

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Step 4: Put Important Conversations in Writing

If you have an important phone conversation, follow up with an email.

Something as simple as:

“Thank you for speaking with me today. I wanted to summarize my understanding of our conversation…”

You don’t have to sound threatening.

You don’t have to sound like an attorney.

You are creating a record.

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Step 5: Ask for the Data

This may be one of the most powerful things parents can do.

If someone says:

“Your child is doing fine.”

Ask:

“Can you show me the data?”

If they say:

“The intervention is working.”

Ask:

“How are we measuring that?”

If your child isn’t making progress:

“What changes are we considering?”

Data doesn’t eliminate disagreements.

But it gives everyone something concrete to discuss.

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Step 6: Request an IEP Meeting When Necessary

If there is a significant concern about your child’s services, accommodations, goals, placement, or progress, you can request an IEP meeting.

You don’t have to wait until the annual IEP meeting if you have a concern that needs to be addressed.

For a 504 Plan, follow your district’s procedures for requesting a review or meeting.

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Step 7: Ask for the Decision in Writing

If the school refuses a request involving an IDEA issue such as evaluation, identification, placement, or FAPE, ask for Prior Written Notice.

You are not being difficult.

You are asking the school to document its decision and explain the reasoning behind it.

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Step 8: Know Your Dispute-Resolution Options

If the problem cannot be resolved informally, IDEA provides several mechanisms for resolving disputes.

Depending on the situation, these can include:

• Mediation
• State complaints
• Due process complaints/hearings

Section 504 has its own complaint and procedural requirements.

Because timelines and procedures matter, parents should review their procedural safeguards and state/district policies and consider obtaining qualified special education or disability-rights assistance when appropriate.

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One More Thing: You Don’t Have to Know Everything

This is probably the biggest thing I want parents to take away.

You don’t have to become a lawyer.

You don’t have to memorize IDEA.

You don’t have to walk into every meeting ready for battle.

But you do need to understand enough to recognize when something doesn’t make sense.

Ask questions.

Read the paperwork.

Keep records.

Ask for data.

Put important conversations in writing.

And when something isn’t working, say so.

You can be collaborative and be an advocate.

Those things are not opposites.

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Four Questions I Want Every Parent to Remember

When you’re sitting in an IEP or 504 meeting and your brain has officially left the building, remember these four:

1. What does my child need?

2. What does the plan say?

3. How will we know whether it is working?

4. What happens if it isn’t?

You don’t need to know every acronym in the room.

You just need to keep asking questions until you understand what is happening with your child.

And remember:

You are not annoying because you asked a question.

You are not difficult because you disagreed.

You are not “that parent” because you want the plan followed.

You are your child’s parent.

And you are allowed to advocate for them.

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This article provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Special education and Section 504 procedures can vary by state and school district. When a dispute becomes serious, consider consulting your state’s parent training and information center, disability-rights organization, or qualified special education attorney/advocate.