Does my child need an IEP?

Understood Explains

If your child has been struggling in school, you might be wondering if they need special education. And once you start exploring special education, you’re going to run into the term IEP, which stands for individualized education program.

But what exactly is an IEP, anyway?

On this episode of Understood Explains, host Juliana Urtubey will cover IEP basics and how to figure out if your child needs this kind of support.

For more resources, including a transcript formatted for easy skimming, visit the episode page on Understood.org.

Timestamps:

(00:57) What is the purpose of an IEP?

(03:27) What’s in an IEP

(05:42) Does my child need an IEP?

(07:42) Should I wait to get my child an IEP?

(10:05) What if my child is learning English?

(11:36) Key takeaways

Related resources:

• Understood Explains Season 1
• How to help if English language learners are struggling in school

Understood is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give