Characteristics of Individualized Education Programs for Students With Learning Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Students who receive special education services are entitled to receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that provides an appropriate level of benefit. Although IEP content is informed by policy mandates and practice recommendations, research has yet to investigate the degree to which school practice is in alignment. The purpose of this investigation was to perform a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies investigating the characteristics and/or quality of IEPs for students with learning disabilities (LDs). A multi-step article identification process revealed 13 studies meeting selection criteria, many of which did not report specific demographic characteristics and findings for students with LD. However, some concerns regarding IEP quality are documented within this pool of investigations. Study limitations and areas for future research are discussed.