Most IEPs are written in sections.
Very few are written as a connected plan.
And that connection is where inclusion either lives…
or quietly disappears.
The Missing Skill No One Taught You
You were likely told to write your parental concerns.
You may have even been told to email your strengths ahead of time.
That’s not wrong advice.
It’s just incomplete.
What no one explained is this:
If your input sits in one box at the beginning of the document, it doesn’t drive anything.
It becomes background information.
The real leverage happens when your input is embedded through the entire IEP, shaping how it is written.
What It Looks Like in Real Life
In the video, I walk through one simple example:
A
second grader receiving support in math.
Here’s what we know about him:
⚫ He learns best by watching peers first.
🟤 He gains confidence after seeing the steps modeled.
🔴 He does well with manipulatives.
🟣 He used base-ten blocks successfully last year.
Most teams would list that under “Strengths.”
And stop there.
But those aren’t just nice details.
That is instructional data.
When we connect that information properly:
❤️ It shapes the Present Levels.
💙 It reframes needs in a way that builds a case for inclusion.
🖤 It anchors the goal inside the general education classroom.
🤎 It
determines which accommodations are written.
💚 It clarifies what services actually look like and where they happen.
And that’s the shift.
Instead of arguing about placement at the end of the meeting…
Inclusion is embedded from the beginning.
Want to Jump to What Matters to You Most?
I included timestamps so you can go straight to what you need.
00:00 Why IEPs Feel Generic
02:03 Turning Strengths into Instructional Data
03:49 Present Levels That Agree (Not Just “Parent Input”)
05:04 Reframing Needs to Support
Inclusion
06:17 Big Picture Parent Goals
09:58 Accommodations vs. Modifications
12:28 What Should Be Written in Services & SDI
17:36 The North Star + One Drafting Mistake
20:08 Q&A + AI Tool Sneak Peek
👉 Watch the replay on YouTube here.
