Does My Child Need an Individual Learning Plan?

Written By Sarah Yeung

When a school recommends an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), many parents are left wondering what this actually means for their child. What is the role of the parent, teacher, and school, and why might an ILP be needed in the first place?

At first, an ILP can sound daunting. However, it is often a valuable and supportive tool designed to help a student access learning in a way that aligns with their strengths, needs, communication style, and learning profile. An ILP can also support a child’s participation in the school environment, routines, and curriculum.

Importantly, an ILP helps create greater structure, consistency, and collaboration across the school team. It allows teachers, support staff, families, and allied health professionals to work towards shared goals and implement strategies more consistently across different settings and staff members.

What is an ILP?

An ILP is an individualised document created by the school in partnership with families, teaching staff and occassionally other support networks (e.g. occupational therapists, speech pathologsits etc.)

Although the plans can vary across states and schools, they generally include the following:

  • Strengths

  • Goals

  • Suppports

  • Classroom adjustments and strategies

This facilitated collaboration between the child’s support networks. ILPs can address many areas such as academic, communication, social, emotional, behaviour, sensory or other functional needs.

You may have heard of other similiar terms like Individual Education Plans, Student Support Plans etc. There is no consistent wording at this stage.

Signs Your Child Might Benefit From an ILP

A child may benefit from an ILP if they:

  • Struggle to access classroom learning

    • difficulty following instructions

    • difficulty understanding language

    • trouble completing tasks indepedently

  • Need adjustments to participate

    • visual supports

    • movement breaks

    • extra processing times

    • alternative ways to learn

  • Experience communication challenges

    • speech/language difficulties

    • use AAC

    • bilingual language needs

    • social-communication differences

  • Become overwhlemed at school

    • sensory dysregulation

    • emotional regulation difficulties

    • school refusal or fatigue

  • Learn differently from peers

    • neurodivergent learners

    • developmental differences

    • cognitive differences

It is important to note that a child does not need to be ‘failing’ at school to benefit from support.

Common Misconceptions About ILP

  • An ILP means my child is behind:

    • ILPs support access, not only academics

    • Many capable children benefit from adjustments (e.g. sensory supports to help them learn)

  • My child will be singled out

    • ILPs are created to support inclusion and participation in the school environment

    • Supports are often discreet and embedded into learning

  • Only children with a diagnosis can have an ILP

    • Supports are needs-based at school

    • Diagnosis is not required

What Makes a Good ILP?

A good ILP should be:

  • Strength-based, not just listing difficulties and deficits.

    • It is important to be aware of how a child learns and how we an draw upon those strengths to support their ILP goals.

  • Include functional goals.

    • ILPs need to have a functional impact, because isolated skills are less likely to generalise well.

    • Examples:

      • participating in group discussions

      • managing transitions

      • asking for help

  • Include realistic classroom adjustments

    • Classroom adjustments need to be realistic, practical, and achievable for everyone involved, otherwise they are unlikely to be implemented consistently. The most effective supports are often simple, sustainable strategies that can be embedded naturally into everyday classroom routines.

    • Examples:

      • visual schedules

      • reduced language load

      • check-ins

      • sensory supports

  • Consider the whole child

    • Take into account:

      • emotional wellbeing

      • communication

      • identity

      • culture

      • language background

  • Be collaborative

    • Families, teachers, therapists, and the child should all have input where possible.

Special Considerations for Bilingual Children

It is important to note that:

  • bilingualism should not automatically be viewed as a concern

  • language difference vs disorder must be considered for ILP

  • goals should not discourage home language use

  • cultural identity matters

  • interpreters may sometimes be needed for Student Support Group meetings

Note: Supporting a child’s home language supports connection, identity, and long-term communication development.

Questions Parents Can Ask at an ILP Meeting

Here are some questions that you may consider during the process of creating an ILP with the school:

  • What are my child’s strengths?

  • What adjustments are currently helping?

  • How will progress be measured?

  • How can supports be consistent across home and school?

  • Are goals functional and meaningful?

  • How is my child’s communication style being supported?

How Allied Health Can Help

Schools will often use a combination of their own assessments and classroom observations, alongside reports and recommendations from external professionals supporting the child, such as paediatricians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and other allied health professionals, when developing an ILP. This collaborative approach helps build a more comprehensive understanding of the child’s strengths, needs, and the supports that may best assist their learning and participation at school.

Health professionals are able to provide support by:

  • Identifying barriers to learning.

  • Giving recommendation on supports, adjustments and strategies.

  • Support goal setting

  • Providing classroom strategies.

At Little Birds Allied Health, our team works collaboratively with families and schools to help support children’s communication, learning, participation, and wellbeing within the school environment.

Final Thought

An ILP is not about lowering expectations.It is about creating access, reducing barriers, and helping children participate meaningfully in learning and school life.

When support is proactive, collaborative, and strengths-based, children are more likely to feel confident, understood, and successful.

Want support?

If you have concerns about your child’s ILP, we’re here to help. Feel free to reach out to the Little Birds team, we’d love to support you and your child on their journey.


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🕊️ Little Birds Allied Health | Multilingual Experts
@little_birds_allied_health

🌏 Sarah | Bilingual SLP, Educator & Business Owner
@sarahthebilingualslp

References

Australian Government Department of Education. (2005). Disability Standards for Education 2005. https://www.education.gov.au/disability-standards-education-2005

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability. (n.d.). Disability Standards for Education. https://www.nccd.edu.au/disability-standards-education

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability. (n.d.). Step 1: Is there an adjustment?https://www.nccd.edu.au/wider-support-materials/step-1-there-adjustment

Victorian Department of Education. (n.d.). How to develop an Individual Education Plan. https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/individual-education-plans-ieps/guidance/how-develop-individual-education-plan

Victorian Department of Education. (n.d.). Individual Education Plans (IEPs). https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/individual-education-plans-ieps/print-all

Victorian Department of Education. (n.d.). Reasonable adjustments. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/learningneeds/Pages/reasonable-adjustments.aspx

Sarah Yeung
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