Collaborative Development of Strengths-Based Present Levels Statements

Students with disabilities who receive special education services must have an IEP that is developed by a team including the student’s teacher/s, family or guardian, the student, and any other team members, such as related services providers. When developing the IEP, the team is required to consider (a) the student’s strengths, (b) parent concerns, (c) evaluation data, and (d) the needs of the child (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], 2004). Although the team should include considerations of the student’s strengths, recent research has revealed the IEP can be deficit-focused (Kurth et al., 2022; Hott et al., 2021).