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How to Improve the PLAAFP Statements in Your IEPs

• Jennifer Hofferber - Special Education Teacher and Coach • Episode 168

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If "No Concerns" is still making its way into your IEP sections as a standalone remark, this episode is your call to action to enhance your PLAAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance) writing practices.

The PLAAFP section is not just the foundation of the IEP; it’s the blueprint that guides every aspect of a student's educational plan. 

In this episode (recap of episode 81), we discuss these important aspects of the IEP PLAAFP section:

  • Essential Components: What must be included to paint a complete picture of a student’s capabilities and needs.
  • Common Pitfalls: What to avoid to prevent vague or incomplete PLAAFP sections.
  • Sourcing Information: Best practices for gathering comprehensive data from a variety of sources.
  • Stakeholder Input: How to effectively incorporate feedback from everyone involved in the student’s education, including the students themselves.

Resource highlights include:




Tune in to learn:

  • How to ensure that every PLAAFP section you write is as robust and informative as possible.
  • Why revisiting and refining your approach to PLAAFP can make a substantial difference in your educational outcomes.

Mentioned in the show:

  • Write Better PLAAFP Statements for Your IEPs Guide – Find this essential resource through the link in our show notes.
  • Survey Level Assessment – Discover how this tool can aid in creating precise and personalized IEP goals.

Revisiting this topic reinforces our commitment to excellence in special education. Perfect your PLAAFP sections and ensure that every IEP you write fully reflects the unique needs and strengths of your students. Your mission to better understand and articulate your students' levels starts here!

Writing individual impact statements based on a student’s unique disability  and needs can be a big struggle AND a big time suck.! And in case you haven't noticed...extra time is not something you have a lot of.

My IEP Impact Statements Growing Bundle will give you  the resources you need to make writing impact statements a breeze.  





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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to the podcast. Today I want to revisit episode 81, how to write better PLAAFP statements for your IEPs, and I wanted to circle back to this episode because it is a crucial topic. There is nothing that annoys me more than when teachers write the words no concerns in an IEP and they are not backing it up with at least a little bit of data. If that's you, you better believe that I'm calling you out. Come on, we can do better than that. This section is the heart of an IEP and it sets the stage for everything that follows. In this episode, I dive deep into the art and science of how to write an effective PLAAF statement. What does PLAAF stand for? Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance. It's not just about reporting facts. It's about capturing the essence of a living, breathing student. In just a few pages, I'll guide you through what to include, what to leave out, where to source this vital information and who to consult in the process. And if you are looking to really step up your PLAAF game, you've got to check out the resource that I created between the time that I originally recorded this episode and now it's called Write Better PLAAF Statements for your IEPs, and this guide is a game changer. It's called Write Better PLAAFP Statements for your IEPs, and this guide is a game changer. It's packed with practical tips, examples and everything that you need to turn those lackluster PLAAFP sections into comprehensive, insightful narratives that truly reflect your students' needs and strengths. Trust me, this is one tool that you will not want to miss out on. You can find your copy by clicking the link in the show notes. So, whether you are hearing this for the first time or you are coming back for a refresher, this episode is a must listen for anyone who is committed to creating impactful IEPs. So let's dive into episode 81, how to write better PLAAFP statements for your IEPs.

Speaker 1:

Hey, special educator, are you overwhelmed by the absurd amount of paperwork on your to-do list? Do you wish you had the skills to build a rock solid team with your staff? Do you find yourself scouring the internet for how to meet the needs of each student on your caseload? Well, hey, there. I'm Jennifer Hopperberg, an award-winning veteran special education teacher and current instructional coach, who has walked in your shoes through each of these challenges and yes, I have the metaphorical blisters to prove it. I have cried your tears and felt your pain, and now I'm here to support you in the way I wish someone would have been there to support me. Listen in each week as my guests and I dish out practical wisdom to help you handle all the classroom curveballs that are thrown at you and learn how to laugh in spite of the chaos, to celebrate those small yet significant victories that only a special educator can understand. So are you ready? Wipe your tears and put on your superhero cape, because together we are going to learn how to survive and thrive in the ever crazy, completely overwhelming laugh so you don't cry. Profession of being a special education teacher.

Speaker 1:

Today's episode is dedicated to the alphabet soup acronym for the heart of our IEPs, the PLAP. In 27 years of teaching, I've heard it called the PLOP, the PLEP and finally the PLAT, which is a little hard to pronounce. If I'm honest, plaf it kind of sounds like an Aflac commercial. We all know this section as the present levels of academic and functional performance, but what really does that even mean? Well, today I want to really dig into this area. What is it and what information should be included in this section of our IEPs?

Speaker 1:

The present level section of an IEP is a starting point for all of the other parts of the IEP. In fact, there should not be anything in your IEP that isn't tied back to the present level section somewhere. For example, whatever goals you choose should be based on information from the PLAP. Whatever services you provide should be tied to the needs of the student, which should be written in the PLAP. Whatever accommodations or modifications the child needs should be tied back to the needs in the PLAP. So really it is truly the meat and potatoes of the IEP and it's where the bulk of information will lie.

Speaker 1:

If an outsider were to read your IEP, would they get a good picture of your students just by reading the present level section? I cannot tell you how many IEPs I received from different teachers in different towns or states, or really different teachers from within my own district, where I look at the present levels and I just find the bare minimum Short statements with no true picture of what the child can and cannot do, and it just it kind of annoys me. So I want to help you do better with this, because you may be writing them the way that you were taught, and that's completely understandable. You might not know what you don't know. You might not have been taught the right way. So that's why I've taken it upon myself to educate you on how to write high quality present levels of performance.

Speaker 1:

So within the present levels, it is broken down into health, motor, social and emotional, general intelligence, reading, math, written language, communication, functional living skills, and then, if the child is nearing their 14th birthday, you could also have a section on transition. Now, before I go into each section, I just want to reiterate that there should not be any area left blank and in my opinion, there shouldn't be any section that says just no concerns. You want to put as much information as you can in each section, even if that section isn't a concern for the student, and I'll go over how to do that in just a little bit. But those two words no concern should not be a standalone comment in any PLAPS section. You also want to date any information that you do include, because a new person reading the IEP will assume that the information is up to date. Now you might know that your student Benny had a heart condition at age three and that the heart doctor does not feel it has an impact on his educational performance, but you still want it to be in the IEP so that everyone knows. But if you don't date it, it could look like he currently has a heart condition that needs to be addressed within the school day. I can't tell you how many times I've received an IEP that has either little to no information at all or has information but it's old info and it isn't even applicable to the student anymore. So just be sure that you are completing your present levels appropriately each year.

Speaker 1:

So let's dive into each part and I'll tell you what goes in each area, and then you can get an idea of the verbiage that I use For health. This is where you're going to put in the vision and hearing results, any medications that the child takes and what they're for. You don't need to go into specifics about dosages, because that can change frequently, but you do want to know from the parents what the child is taking so that you are aware of any side effects that may occur at school. We always include attendance in this section, stating that the child is generally healthy and attends school on a regular basis. Or this child has missed 27 days of school this year due to being in the hospital for whatever reason. If the child has a diagnosis of any kind, you will list it in this area as well and list how it affects their health. This area will also include any seizure activity, feeding tubes, etc. Make sure that the nurse is involved with this present level statement if there are significant needs Now. If the child doesn't have any concerns at all no vision, no hearing, nothing then the statement that you would put in the IEP you're not going to put no concerns. The statement that you can write is Benny has passed his vision and hearing screening, according to the school nurse, on such and such date. He does not take any medications at home or at school. He is a healthy child and attends school on a regular basis and that's it. So you made a statement to the team and to anyone reading it on the outside can see that you put forth an effort to describe this child without just putting those two words no concerns.

Speaker 1:

The next section is motor. If the child has OT or PT services or even mobility services for a visual impairment, this is the section that will go in. The related service providers will put their information in the section and they will summarize it. And if the child doesn't have any motor concerns, you could say something like Benny is able to fully participate in recess and physical activities, including physical education. He likes to play soccer at recess. His handwriting is immature but legible there are no concerns in this area of motor skills and then dated For social and emotional. If there are concerns in this area, you will first need to list any strengths that the child has, and for me this is the hardest section of the IEP to find strengths in, because when you're dealing with a child who has behavior issues every day, it can sometimes be difficult to find those strengths. But they are there and recognizing them will go a long way in developing that relationship with the parent and with developing a relationship with the child. This is where you're going to include the results of any behavior rating skills and the summary of those. Make sure to list how the behavior is impacting the student's education. If this area is not a concern, you can write something like Benny demonstrates appropriate behavior in all educational settings. He follows the school discipline plan, he is polite and respectful to his teachers and he gets along well with his peers and then date it For the general intelligence section.

Speaker 1:

This section is entered by our school psychologist and I don't even try to summarize it during an annual. I pull out the strengths and weaknesses and how it's impacting their learning, but I don't even try to summarize it during an annual. I pull out the strengths and weaknesses and how it's impacting their learning, but I don't summarize the data. Every year During an initial evaluation or a three-year re-evaluation, the school psychologist goes over this information in detail. If you don't have a school psych, or if you are the one responsible for reporting this information, just make sure you summarize the data in parent-friendly language and always tie it back to their general education performance For reading and written language.

Speaker 1:

For each of these sections. I organize the data to make it easy to read for parents and for myself and the teacher. These sections will house a lot of information and if you don't have headings or subheadings or underlining or bold words, it can be really, really overwhelming. Include the most current achievement testing results with summaries. Make sure to include any current testing for district, state or building and then summarize what that data means. A percentile score means nothing to a parent and then you're going to always tie this information back to the IEP goals. To get baseline data for goals, I have a product in my TPT store called a survey level assessment where you can drill down and find the exact skills the student does and does not know, and I use this data for every IEP. I write and I'll link that in the show notes and then if you have a section that a student doesn't qualify in say they qualify in reading and written language but not in math I go ahead and put the testing information from the achievement tests that were given and a short statement that they don't qualify for services in that area.

Speaker 1:

A child can still have accommodations for an area that they don't qualify for, but they wouldn't have a goal For communication. The speech and language pathologist should enter this information and summarize it, but as the primary provider, it is your responsibility to make sure that that data has been entered correctly. If there's no concerns and there's no SLP involved with the child, I write up something that says Benny is able to communicate his needs and wants appropriately within all educational settings. He does not qualify, nor is he in need of speech and language services, and then date it. And the last section is the functional living skills. In this section, if the child does not have any needs, I would write something like Benny is able to feed and clothe himself and is able to take care of all of his toileting needs independently. There are no concerns in this area. If there are concerns, simply list them out and add in any strengths that you can find. For example, benny can independently put on his shoes and coat, but he needs assistance with tying his shoes and zipping his coat. He is able to attend to his bathroom needs independently, but he needs help rebuttoning his pants.

Speaker 1:

Make certain that, for any goal that you have, that you have matching data within the present levels to justify the need for that goal. Now, another thing I want to talk about when it comes to the present levels of performance is that the IEP should be a working document that has input from every single stakeholder. The parents, the student, the teachers, the nurse counselor anybody that's involved with the child should be giving their input into these present levels of performance. So, like I said, you will have related service providers who are inputting data on motor skills, communication and most likely there will be a school psychologist who is entering your cognitive data. But you're also going to be getting input from the parents about how they feel their child is progressing, what skills they have at home and what skills they feel the child is ready to start learning, and then you're going to always want to get input from the general education teacher. You want to know how they're performing in the general education setting, with and without a paraprofessional present. And then if you think that you're done there, then you have just missed the most important piece of information input from the student themselves.

Speaker 1:

As most of us go through our degree programs, we are taught that once a student closes in on 13 years of age, that they become involved in the IEP process. They'll be invited to the meeting. They'll be given questionnaires about their future goals, how they learn best and their current ability to take care of themselves on an independent basis. And that is great. But what about those younger kids? Why can't they be a part of this process as well? And I understand that attending an hour-long meeting with a room full of scary adults is not in their best interest, and that's not what I'm implying. But this document is about them and for them, and therefore it needs to include them in the development of it. So you can do quick little surveys or interviews of the student. Just ask them what their favorite subject is, ask them what they enjoy doing at school, ask them if they have friends, ask them any problems that they're having a school. Just get their input so that you can include it in the IEP Because, like I said, they are the most important piece of this.

Speaker 1:

So I know I've said a lot that the present level should align perfectly with the IEP. The present levels is part of the IEP, but there's also other parts of the IEP that need to align with the present levels. The goals should be written based on the information in the present levels of performance. The accommodations and modifications should be based on the needs that are indicated within the present levels. The services should reflect the needs that are written within the present levels. The assistive technology should already be listed in the present levels.

Speaker 1:

So, like I said earlier, it is the starting point for the whole IEP and it holds all the gold. It holds so much valuable information because it's where the teacher can try their best to sum up a living, breathing child into just a few pages, and that's not an easy feat. We have to do a better job of completing these sections. So my best piece of advice is to write the present levels as if you were writing it for your own child. If you were the parent writing about your child, you would talk them up, you would tell how smart they are, how they can count to 100. You would find as many strengths as you possibly could for your child, and so keep that in mind.

Speaker 1:

You are reporting about someone's child, and an IEP meeting is hard for parents. They are trusting you with the best that they have and they don't always understand the jargon, how all of this is going to tie together in the end. So it's your job as the special education teacher, as the case manager, to tie it all back together and with one great big, nice, pretty red bow. My rule of thumb, and something that I learned early in my career that I remember every time I write an IEP, is that any piece of information should be included in that IEP at least twice. So if it's listed in the present levels, you're covered, and then you're just going to tie it to somewhere else in the IEP. And I think that the present levels is the part that hangs us up the most often. It's the part that takes the longest. So I hope, by listening to this episode, that I've given you some things to think about that you can take and to put into action into your IEP writing immediately.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for sticking with me until the end. I can tell just by listening to the show that you are just as dedicated to the field of special education as I am, and you want to grow into an amazing educator, and I'm here for it. I'm here for you and I'm so thrilled to be able to share all of my wisdom of being a veteran SPED teacher on the SPED Prep Academy podcast. If you're enjoying this podcast and want to share it with friends, go ahead and screenshot an image of your favorite episode and tag me on Instagram. You can also subscribe to the show and leave a five-star review. They give an instant boost to my ego and they help others find the podcast as well.

Speaker 1:

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