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NC Education Lawyer Blog

Writer's pictureNeubia Harris

Should My Child Have an IEP?

As the parent of a child falling behind academically, you may have heard that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) can help your child excel in school.


But you may be asking yourself, “should my child have an IEP?”


Request an IEP for your child when:



Different interventions did not work

When students struggle in school, teachers usually try alternative strategies to help them, such as giving them lesser workload, giving them more time to complete assignments, etc.


If your child has received these interventions with no improvements, then an IEP might be necessary.


The problem is getting worse

As a parent, you already know your child has challenges with school work; maybe your child finds it difficult to complete math tasks or read.


If the problem has been progressing over the years as your child moves up grade level, it’s an indication that your child needs an IEP.


You’ve tried other options

If your child isn’t doing well in school, you may need to remove all possible distractions.


Hide the computer games your child can’t stay away from, set limits on screen time and limit/eliminate other distractions. If you’ve done all of these and you’ve seen no improvement, your child should have an IEP.


A 504 plan didn’t work

A 504 plan introduces accommodations such as preferential seating, visual and verbal aids, modified textbooks, reduced homework, etc., that enables your child to overcome academic hurdles. If you’ve tried a 504 plan and it didn’t work, ask for an IEP.



Your child fits one of the 13 IDEA categories

If your child has at least one disability with descriptions that fits one of the 13 IDEA categories, and such disability adversely affects your child’s academic performance, then your child should receive special services.


The 13 IDEA categories are:

  • Autism

  • Deafness-Blindness

  • Deafness

  • Emotional Disturbance

  • Hearing Impairment

  • Intellectual Disability

  • Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Specific Learning Disability

  • Speech or Language Impairment

  • Multiple Disabilities

  • Orthopedic Impairment

  • Visual Impairment, including Blindness

  • Other Health Impairment (OHI)


If you need help deciding whether your child should have an IEP or want an experienced education lawyer to guide you through the IEP process, speak with Neubia L. Harris now!

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