How to Write a Strength-Based IEP with Examples

If you’ve ever left an IEP meeting feeling like the conversation was more about what the student couldn’t do rather than what they could, you’re not alone. Traditional IEPs tend to lean heavily on deficits. Obviously these are the areas we have to work on, but there’s a better way to do that while talking more about the child’s strengths.

We can use a strengths-based approach when writing IEPs to better support growth through a positive lens. This approach shifts the focus to what a student does well, how they learn best, and what lights them up, while still addressing areas of need with purpose and support. This style of IEP writing is important to keep everyone focused and leveraging the student’s strengths in order to gain new skills.

If your goal is to support the whole child, which it should be, you should be looking at how to give students an individual service plan that targets this strengths. Let’s walk through how to write a strength-based IEP, with real examples you can model today.

Key Components of a Strength-Based IEP

Present Levels (Present Levels of Academic Achievement)

The first part of writing an IEP that is focused on strengths is to get very clear on what skills the student currently has and what levels they are operating at. An intentional IEP requires us to draft very thorough present levels. You will use various data points, assessments, and anecdotal information in order to draft present level reports that truly reflect where that student is academically, socially, emotionally, physically, etc. 

Start with what the student can do, not just what they are struggling with. Just like we build on prior knowledge in the classroom, we will use a strength-based present level report as a foundation to build from. 

Here is an example:

Jenna demonstrates strong visual-spatial reasoning and thrives in hands-on learning environments. She uses graphic organizers effectively to plan her writing, often selecting the format that works best for her. When reviewing her organizer, she communicates her ideas clearly and confidently. Jenna is developing reading fluency and written expression skills, and benefits from targeted support with transitions and sequencing in her writing. In small groups, she frequently takes initiative and supports her peers. To translate her notes into written form, she needs guidance in connecting ideas clearly and using appropriate transitions.

In this example, we’re highlighting what Jenna is doing well in a key part of the academic area of language arts, and we’re gently leading into the child’s weaknesses in this area without the entire summary being taken over by those weaknesses. We’re building the case for where we’ll need to provide more support, but also shining a light on the child’s academic success. 

To continue giving you examples of how you can craft this IEP using a strength-based approach, let’s review a goal that would tie into Jenna’s present levels.

Goal (Writing):
Given a teacher-selected or self-selected graphic organizer, Jenna will plan and compose a 6 sentence minimum written response that includes a clear main idea, supporting details, and appropriate transitions as measured by the successful mastery of the 2 objectives below.

It ties the existing student’s abilities and strength, of choosing and using organizers, to her area for growth, connecting ideas and using transitions. It does so while being measurable and specific which we know every goal has to be.

Now, let’s look at a couple of objectives for this goal.

Objectives:

1. Organization: Using a graphic organizer, Jenna will identify a main idea and at least two supporting details for a writing task in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
2. Transitions: With verbal or visual prompts, Jenna will include at least two appropriate transition words or phrases in a written paragraph in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

These objectives support the IEP process by making sure they are measurable, tie into the present levels, and support the student in growing in this area of focus. 

Now, even with great goals and objectives, plus thorough present levels, we still need to make sure we’re providing the right accommodations to our students. So, let’s look at how we can support Jenna through these strength-based goals.

Strength-Aligned Accommodations:

• Visual templates, organizers, and story maps
• Transition word bank
• Writing models
• Use of drawing or building tools before writing
• Extended time for reading and writing tasks
• Peer support in group activities

As you can see, all of these sections of the individualized education program build off of what the student is currently excelling in while being mindful of where the student still has to go. As a special education teacher writing IEPs, you must use all the tools you have to find new ways of capitalizing on student strengths. Writing IEPs in this way is a natural extension of this work. We must ensure we do a thorough job at uncovering strengths in order to avoid setting the bar at low expectations. 

IEPs should meet student where they are, while also challenging them accordingly. When the IEP team talks about the student, they should do so with confidence of where the student stands and knowledge of the areas of growth.

Tips for Writing Strength-Based IEPs

Ask strengths-first questions

• What can the student already do independently or with minimal support?
• What does the student naturally show interest in or excel at?
• Is there something the student generally shows others how to do?

Reframe deficits as areas for support

• Instead of “has difficulty staying on task,” try “benefits from structured routines and visual reminders.”
• Instead of “shouts out constantly in class,” try “is eager to share thoughts and ideas with the class.”

Use empowering language

• “Shows strength in…” rather than “struggles with…” 
• “Is great at…” rather than “can’t do this…”
• Keeps feedback constructive.

Involve student voice 

Ash them directly what they enjoy, then you get their input which is necessary and help build upon their strengths. You can also ask them how they learn best, it may even give you more insights. Also, ask what they want to work on. Especially as our students get older we should be asked what goals they have for themselves because these IEPs are for them- not us.

A strength-based IEP isn’t fluff, and it’s not about glossing over challenges. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in the conversation so the student is defined by what they can do, not just what they can’t. This type of work doesn’t vary by school districts. It guides you while still putting in the hard, targeted work to address areas of need.

When you build an IEP from a foundation of strengths, you create a plan that is both more motivating for the student and more actionable for the team. Parents leave meetings feeling hopeful instead of defeated. Teachers walk away with strategies they want to use because they’re aligned with what actually works for the student. And most importantly, the student sees their skills reflected back at them (sometimes for the first time) which changes how they approach learning.

IEPs used to feel like such a chore. Endless data and hours upon hours of work that needed to be done (usually at home, if I’m honest). But, when I reframed my thinking to truly making this document about what my student could do well and thinking about the goals as little nudges to doing even better, things changed.

This approach also forces us, as educators, to raise the bar. When you really know a student’s strengths, you stop writing goals that just scrape by the minimum standard and start writing ones that challenge them . You stop making accommodations that simply help them “get through the school day” and start providing supports that actually build more independence.

Yes, the data still matters. Yes, we still identify deficits. But when those needs are framed within the context of a student’s capabilities, we’re no longer just documenting problems, we’re building a roadmap for success.

So the next time you sit down to write an IEP or flesh out a particular need, start with the question: What is this student already doing well, and how can we use that to drive everything else? If you lead with that, the goals will follow, the accommodations will make sense, and the IEP will feel less like a list of limits and more like a blueprint for possibility. That’s the real power of a strength-based IEP.