5 Things Missing from Most IEPs (And How to Get Them Added)

Most IEPs look complete on paper. They have goals, they have accommodations, they have signatures. But if you know what to look for, you will often find the same gaps showing up again and again — gaps that directly affect what your child receives every single day.

This post covers the 5 things that are missing from most IEPs, what to look for in your child's document, and the exact language to use to get them added.

Before you keep reading: At the bottom of this post, I am sharing something extra for anyone who comments. Stay with me — it is worth it.

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1. Measurable Goals That Can Actually Be Tracked

The most common IEP gap is also the most damaging: goals that sound specific but cannot actually be measured.

"Student will improve reading skills" is not a goal. It is a wish. IDEA requires goals to be measurable — which means they need a baseline, a target, a timeline, and a way to collect data.

What a real measurable goal looks like:

"By May 2027, when given a grade-level reading passage, [Child] will read with 90% accuracy as measured by biweekly oral reading fluency probes, improving from a current baseline of 72%."

What to look for in your child's IEP:

• Does each goal have a baseline (where the child is starting)?
• Does it have a specific, numerical target?
• Does it specify how progress will be measured and how often?

If the answer to any of these is no, request that the goal be rewritten at the next IEP meeting. You can propose revised goal language in writing before the meeting.

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2. A Clear Description of How Each Service Will Be Delivered

Most IEPs list services — "speech therapy 2x per week, 30 minutes per session." What most do not include is how those services will be delivered: individually or in a group? Pull-out or push-in? With which provider?

These details matter enormously. A child who receives speech therapy in a group of eight is getting a fundamentally different service than a child in individual sessions — even if the IEP says the same thing.

What to add: Ask the IEP team to specify:

• Individual session or group (and if group, maximum group size)
• Location (pull-out resource room, general education classroom, therapy room)
• Who will deliver the service (speech-language pathologist, paraprofessional, special education teacher)

These are not unusual requests. They are reasonable clarifications that make the IEP enforceable.

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3. Baseline Data for Every Goal Area

You cannot measure progress if you do not know the starting point. Yet many IEPs list goals without documenting the child's current performance level in that area.

This matters for two reasons. First, it makes it impossible to determine whether the child is making meaningful progress. Second, without a baseline, there is no way to hold the school accountable if the child is stagnating.

What to look for: Every goal area should have a Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statement that includes:

• The child's current performance in that area with data
• How the disability affects their involvement in the general curriculum
• A description that connects directly to each goal

If the PLAAFP says "struggles with reading" but gives no data, ask the school to provide the most recent assessment scores and request they be included in the document.

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4. Behavior Supports — Even If Behavior Is Not the Primary Concern

Many parents assume that a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is only needed when a child has major behavioral challenges. In practice, any child whose behavior — including anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or avoidance — is affecting their ability to learn should have some level of behavioral support written into their IEP.

Signs your child's IEP is missing behavioral supports:

• Your child regularly refuses work, shuts down, or cries at school — but the IEP says nothing about it
• Teachers frequently call or email about behavior — but no plan exists to address it
• Your child has been sent to the office, sent home early, or excluded from activities — but no formal support is in place

If any of these apply, request that the IEP team discuss adding a Behavior Intervention Plan or, at minimum, specific behavioral supports and accommodations to the document.

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5. Extended School Year (ESY) Consideration

IDEA requires IEP teams to consider whether a child needs Extended School Year services — meaning services during the summer or breaks — to prevent significant regression in their skills.

Most schools do not proactively discuss ESY. Many parents have never heard of it. And yet, for children who lose significant ground during breaks, ESY can be the difference between maintaining hard-won progress and spending the first three months of every school year catching back up.

ESY is not automatically denied because:

• The child is "doing fine" during the school year
• The school district does not typically offer summer programs
• Other children do not need it

ESY eligibility is individual. The IEP team must consider it for every child, every year. If the team has never discussed it, or if your child struggles after breaks, ask specifically: "Has the team considered ESY for my child, and what is the basis for the decision?"

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How to Use This List at Your Next IEP Meeting

Before your next meeting, pull out your child's current IEP and go through each of these five areas:

1. Are the goals measurable with a baseline, target, and data plan?
2. Does each service specify how, where, and by whom it will be delivered?
3. Does the PLAAFP include current data for every goal area?
4. Does the IEP address any behavioral or emotional needs affecting learning?
5. Has the team formally considered and documented ESY?

If you find gaps, write them down and bring them to the meeting as specific, written questions. You do not need to be confrontational — you just need to be specific.

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Want the Full IEP Audit Checklist?

I put together a printable IEP audit checklist that walks through every section of an IEP — goals, services, PLAAFP, accommodations, behavior, transition, ESY — so you can review your child's document before the next meeting and know exactly what to ask for.

Comment "AUDIT" below to get access to it.

When you comment, check our IEP Red Flag Checker — it is the free tool we built specifically for this: it walks you through the most common IEP problems and tells you what to do about each one.

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If you want a professional set of eyes on your child's full IEP document, our IEP Review Service gives you a thorough review and one-on-one session to go over exactly what is missing and what language to request. Our School Appeal Letter Templates also include templates for formally requesting IEP changes in writing.

For more on specific disabilities, visit our ADHD hub, Autism hub, or Emotional & Behavioral Disorders hub.

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Disclaimer: This post is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every child's IEP is different. Consult a qualified special education advocate or attorney for guidance specific to your child's situation.