The IEP process, explained.
Every meeting, every right, illustrated.
An illustrated guide for parents of a child with a disability at school: asking for an evaluation, IEP or 504, reading the present levels and goals, services and accommodations, the meeting step by step, independent evaluations, mediation, complaints and due process, and discipline. 200 pages with the federal rule cited on every page. eBook or printed book.
The book at home, the PDF on the phone at the meeting · $79.99
Not a wall of legal text. One topic per page.
Every page works the same way, so a busy parent can find the answer in a few minutes, before the meeting or the call with the school.
This is what the pages look like.
For the parents who handle the forms, the emails and the meetings.
Something isn't working at school
How to ask for an evaluation in writing, what consent means, the federal and state timelines, the 13 categories, and IEP or 504.
The yearly meeting
Reading the present levels and goals, progress reports, services and accommodations, who must be at the table, and what to bring.
When the answer is no
Prior written notice, independent evaluations, mediation, state complaints, due process, and the discipline rules after 10 school days.
What's worth knowing before the next meeting.
These rules are federal and written down. The book explains each one with a diagram and the source.
Two different signatures
Consent to evaluate is not consent to services. The school asks for each one separately, in writing.
A second opinion, at public expense
A parent who disagrees with the school's evaluation can ask for an independent one. The school must pay for it or ask for a hearing, without unnecessary delay.
The 10-school-day line
After 10 school days out in a school year, services must continue. A change of placement brings a review within 10 school days.
From first worry to first IEP, with the clock.
What to send, what the school must answer, and when each step is due.
- The written request, and a sample letter to adapt
- 60 days from consent under federal rules, or the state's timeline
- California, Texas, New York and Florida: four ways to count
- 30 days from eligibility to the first IEP meeting
Two laws, one table.
Who qualifies, what each plan gives, the papers, the reviews, and how to disagree under each law.
- The 13 IDEA categories and the "needs special education" test
- Section 504: an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity
- Why medication or devices don't count against 504 eligibility
- The Office for Civil Rights and its 180-day complaint window
Present levels, goals and progress reports.
A sample IEP with the seven parts every IEP must contain, and how to tell a measurable goal from a vague one.
- Present levels in numbers, not adjectives
- The five parts of a measurable goal, with rewritten examples
- Progress charts: when a report is a reason to call a meeting
- The Supreme Court's standard in Endrew F. (2017)
Who sits at the table, and the rules of the room.
Who must be on the team, how a member can be excused, interpreters, phone or video meetings, and what to bring.
- The seven members of the IEP team under federal rules
- Excusing a member: only with the parent's written agreement
- Before, during and after: the meeting checklist
- What each signature on the form can mean
Four ways to disagree, and every deadline.
Mediation, state complaints and due process side by side, plus independent evaluations and prior written notice.
- State complaints: violations in the last year, 60 days to decide
- Due process: 2 years back, 15-day resolution meeting, 45-day decision
- "Stay put" during a due process case
- An independent evaluation at public expense
When the school calls about behavior.
How school days out are counted, what a change of placement is, and the two questions of the manifestation determination review.
- Services after 10 school days out in a school year
- The review within 10 school days, and its two questions
- Behavior assessments and behavior plans
- The 45-school-day special circumstances
Everyone at home looks at the same page.
Both parents, a grandparent or a family friend coming to the meeting can read the same chart and bring the same questions to the school.
- Built on laws and regulations, cited on every page
- Reviewed every school year, because state rules change
- Written with person-first language and respect
Evaluations, IEPs, 504 plans and disagreements, in one guide.
Full table of contents
On screen, on paper, or both.
Color PDF, right after payment
Open it on a phone, tablet or computer, and bring it to the IEP meeting. Print the letters and checklists as many times as you need.
200 color pages, spiral-bound
Lies flat next to the IEP and the notes. Free US shipping, about 5–8 business days. Want both? Printed + eBook for $79.99.
The letters, checklists and logs.
Sample letters to adapt, plus the pages that keep a school year organized: what was asked, when, and what the school answered.
- Letters: evaluation request, prior written notice, records, independent evaluation, a meeting request
- Meeting checklist, "about my child" profile, progress tracker and communication log
- With the eBook: print them again every year
See 10 real pages, free.
The evaluation clock, the 13 categories, IEP or 504, reading an IEP, measurable goals, services and supports, the IEP team, the four ways to disagree, discipline, and the letter templates. Read them and decide with the pages in front of you.
See the 10 pages ↓
How is it different?
| What it has | This guide | Official websites | Books on Amazon | Advocate or attorney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluations, IEP, 504, meetings, disputes and discipline in one place | ✓ | Spread across many pages | Varies | ✓ |
| Timelines, flowcharts and a sample IEP, illustrated | ✓ | Varies | Mostly text | — |
| The federal rule cited on each page | ✓ | ✓ | Varies | Varies |
| Letter templates and logs to print | ✓ | — | Varies | Varies |
| Advice on your child's own situation | ✗ General information | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | From $39.99 | Free | About $10 to $42 | Fees vary |
You can start reading tonight.
You pay
Secure checkout, no account, no subscription. One payment.
You open the eBook
If you chose the eBook, the download link arrives by email. Open it on a phone, tablet or computer.
The book arrives
If you chose the printed book, it ships free to your US address.
Every meeting, every right, explained for parents.
- 200 illustrated color pages, 16 chapters
- Asking for an evaluation, the timelines, the 13 categories
- IEP or 504 plan, side by side
- Present levels, measurable goals, progress reports, services and accommodations
- The IEP meeting step by step, consent and prior written notice
- Independent evaluations, mediation, state complaints, due process, discipline
- Letter templates, checklists and logs to print
- Printed book: spiral-bound, lies flat
What parents ask before buying
Is this legal advice?
No. This guide provides general information, not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney or a special education advocate. Rules vary by state. Every topic ends with the questions to ask the school, and the book explains where to find your state's own rules.
Will it tell us whether our child qualifies for an IEP?
No book can decide that. Eligibility is decided by a team that includes the parents, after an evaluation. The guide explains the 13 categories, the two questions behind eligibility, the timelines and the papers, so the family can prepare and ask the right questions.
Which states does it cover?
All of them, at the level of the federal rules that apply everywhere: IDEA and Section 504. Where states set their own rules, such as evaluation timelines or time limits for due process, the book shows examples (California, Texas, New York and Florida) and where to find your state's version: the procedural safeguards notice the school must give parents once a year.
Our child has a 504 plan, not an IEP. Is it useful?
Yes. Chapter 3 compares the two laws side by side, and the chapters on evaluations, records, meetings and disagreements explain what changes under Section 504.
Does it matter what the disability is?
The rules in the book are the same for all 13 categories: evaluations, the IEP, services, meetings and disagreements follow the same federal steps. Examples in the book come from different needs, such as reading, behavior and speech.
Our child is a teenager. Is it still useful?
Yes. Every chapter applies through high school. Chapter 14 covers the transition plan that starts no later than the first IEP in effect at 16. For what changes at 18, with benefits and decisions, see our companion guide, Turning 18 with a Disability.
Are you affiliated with the school district or any agency?
No. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, the Office for Civil Rights, any state education agency or any school district. Every prior written notice from the school must also list sources parents can contact for help understanding the rules.
Are the rules up to date?
The federal rules were checked on November 9, 2026 against the current text of 34 CFR Parts 300 and 104 on ecfr.gov, and each page shows its source. State examples were checked against each state's code. We review the guide every school year.
Does it include letter templates?
Yes. Sample letters to request an evaluation, a prior written notice, records, an independent evaluation and a meeting, plus checklists and logs. They are general samples: adapt them to your situation and your state.
Do you sell advocacy or legal services?
No. We sell the guide only, and we don't receive referral fees.
Can I read it on my phone?
Yes. The eBook is a color PDF that opens on a phone, tablet or computer. You can print the letters, the checklists and any page you want.
When does the printed book arrive?
Shipping is free to US addresses and takes about 5–8 business days. The eBook arrives by email right after payment.
What if it's not right for us?
You have a 30-day guarantee. Write to us within 30 days and we'll refund you. No questions, no forms.
Ready to see the whole IEP process, one page at a time?
200 illustrated pages, every federal deadline with its source, letters and checklists to print. 30-day guarantee.
From $39.99 · eBook or printed