IEPs for students with disabilities may become harder to access as families brace for more challenges under new policy shifts. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), a vital support system in public schools, are facing an increasingly unclear future under the Trump administration.
Special education professionals and supporters are deeply concerned about recent changes to federal education funding and research programs, which include the elimination of $900 million from education-related research and more than $600 million from educator training grants.
A System Already Strained
An estimated 7.5 million students rely on IEPs for students with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Educators and parents tailor these plans to help students succeed, but they have long struggled to get them right.
“There was a huge gap in how he was performing and what he was capable of,” said Katie Prather, whose son has autism and struggled for years in public schools, despite having an IEP.
With teacher shortages, increasing paperwork burdens, and disagreements between schools and parents over services, the IEP process has often left families feeling helpless. Now, with the Trump administration proposing to dismantle the Department of Education and moving protections to the Department of Health and Human Services, many wonder if things will get worse.
Less Research, Less Support
The Institute of Education Sciences, a critical source for research on effective interventions for students with disabilities, has been gutted. Advocates say this move strips away the very data that helps guide tailored education plans.
Special education consultant Rich Weinfeld said, “Without evidence-based data, we may struggle to agree on which interventions to use.”
Funding Uncertainty, Teacher Shortages
Special education teachers are in short supply, and the federal cuts to training programs are worsening the crisis. The administrative burden of IEPs is also a major reason many educators leave the field.
“Without addressing the workforce issue, the rest of the causes of frustration are not going any better,” said policy analyst Carrie Gillispie.
Schools like Hanna Academy in California, where Prather’s son now attends, receive state funding and depend heavily on consistent federal support. But unpredictable budgets worry school leaders, who fear they may need to reduce services.
What’s on the line?
IEPs are a nationally guaranteed right; they are not voluntary. However, kids with impairments may not be able to get a meaningful education if enough funds, staffing, and research are not available.
Millions of families wonder what will happen to their child’s future as federal education policy discussions continue and the support system risks collapsing.
Source: USA Today
