Individualized Education Program (IEP)/Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) Facilitation: Practical Insights and Programmatic Considerations

Abstract

Over 6.5 million youth and their families are eligible for early intervention or special education services (Data Accountability Center, 2011) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA). The principal mechanism by which goals, objectives, services, and placements are determined for Part B of the IDEA are Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. Programs for children birth to three who receive services under Part C are developed in Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings. Each plan or program is developed by a team of parents, early childhood service providers, teachers, administrators, and related service providers, as well as attorneys and advocates. These meetings represent an important opportunity to draw on participants' expertise and aspirations in the interest of developing a plan that leads to important learning outcomes for the child. Making important decisions and developing plans on one's own is often difficult. Making important decisions with others--particularly those who hold differing views--is further complicated. Fortunately, many groups find that the challenges of aligning diverse viewpoints can be overcome with the support of a facilitator--a term grounded in the Latin word for "easy". An effective facilitator makes a group's work easier by supporting clear communication among prepared parties in a structured and focused process. The application of facilitation to IEP/IFSP meetings has significantly increased. In 2008, twenty-four states reported using IEP facilitation, and another eight states were in the planning or development stages. As the practice of IEP/IFSP facilitation has grown, a body of expertise and associated practice recommendations has emerged. This document summarizes practical insights and promising practices for IEP/IFSP facilitation, collected from a broad review of facilitation and special education literature.