The Cost of Stagnant IEPs

I began paying close attention to my son’s IEP years after relocating multiple times for my husband’s job. Once we finally settled in Virginia and found a school that felt “right,” I was relieved—and I trusted the system. For several years, I didn’t question the IEP goals or the role of the IEP team.

It wasn’t until fourth grade that I realized something was wrong. My son was no longer making progress in areas where he had once thrived. When we lived in Berlin, Germany, he progressed rapidly from nonspeaking to speaking through a combination of ABA and individualized speech therapy. In Virginia, however, I discovered that his speech and language goals had remained unchanged for four years.

Speech and Language services in schools are provided under IDEA (2004) to ensure a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). In practice, these services are often delivered in group settings. For many autistic children, this model does not adequately address individualized communication needs. Goals may stay stagnant, therapy may be generalized, and meaningful progress can stall.

This is not due to a lack of caring professionals, but to systemic underfunding. Speech-language departments are frequently understaffed, with SLPs carrying caseloads of 50–60 students. As a result, children often do not receive the intensity or specificity of support they need.

Communication is the foundation of learning, relationships, and independence. Yet families are often left to fill the gaps themselves—despite this being labeled a “free” education. That is why outside speech therapy and home-based support are not optional add-ons, but essential components of progress for many children.

Today, I help parents evaluate IEPs—especially speech and language services—to ensure goals are appropriate, individualized, and meaningful for their child. I also support families in understanding and reinforcing their child’s speech therapy program at home, so progress doesn’t depend solely on limited school-based services.

Because our children’s voices are worth the investment—and waiting years to realize they aren’t being heard is a cost no family should have to pay.