The ILP Process in ACT Schools: How to Request, Prepare For, and Navigate It

If your child has a disability or is struggling in ways that suggest one, knowing how to navigate the ACT school support system is not optional knowledge — it's the difference between your child getting the help they need and being left to fall further behind while the school waits for "more information."

The ACT doesn't use IEPs (that's a US system). The equivalent is the Individual Learning Plan (ILP), governed by the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (DSE). Here is a step-by-step map of how the process works.

Step 1: Understanding When an ILP Is Required

An ILP is mandatory in ACT public schools for students who:

• Receive targeted support through Disability Education Programs or the Special Education Section
• Are in out-of-home care
• Have been referred to Student Support Services

But parents can request an ILP at any time — and this right is not limited to children with a formal diagnosis. If your child's disability is imputed (observable functional impact without a formal diagnosis), the school can and must act. Schools that require a diagnosis before initiating an ILP are misrepresenting the law.

Step 2: Making the Request

If the school has not initiated an ILP and you believe one is needed, make a written request. Email is sufficient and creates a paper trail. Address it to both the classroom teacher and the principal.

Your email should state:

• Your child's name, year level, and school
• The specific functional impacts you have observed at school (not a diagnosis — observable difficulties)
• Your request for an ILP meeting to discuss reasonable adjustments
• A request for confirmation of receipt and a proposed meeting date within a reasonable timeframe (10 school days is a reasonable expectation)

Keep this email. If the school does not respond within 10 days, send a follow-up referencing the original email. If there is still no response, contact the ACT Education Directorate directly.

Step 3: The ILP Team

The ILP meeting must include:

• The classroom teacher — non-negotiable. The teacher implements adjustments daily. A meeting without the classroom teacher is operationally useless.
• The principal or an authorised executive delegate — they hold authority to approve resourcing and staffing allocations
• Parents and carers — you are legal participants, not observers
• A Special Needs or Welfare team representative

Optional but valuable additions:

• School psychologist
• External allied health therapists (NDIS-funded speech pathologist, occupational therapist, or behaviour support practitioner)
• A professional advocate from ADACAS or Advocacy for Inclusion

If the school proposes holding a meeting without the classroom teacher, push back. Request that the meeting be rescheduled when the teacher can attend.

Step 4: Preparing Your Parent Statement

Before the meeting, prepare a brief written Parent Statement. This is not a medical summary — it is your perspective on your child's:

• Strengths and interests (the school often knows only what isn't working)
• Known triggers for distress, anxiety, or behavioural challenges
• Effective strategies you use at home to manage transitions, routines, or communication
• Your specific educational priorities for the upcoming period

Bring copies. Ask for it to be formally noted as part of the ILP documentation.

Step 5: What Must Be in the ILP

The ACT Directorate's ILP guidelines require the following components as mandatory inclusions:

• Specific areas of curriculum focus
• Measurable learning outcomes (SMART goals)
• An intervention plan — specific teaching strategies, environmental modifications, assistive technology
• A Monitoring and Evaluation Plan — who tracks progress, how often, using what method
• A named Case Coordinator — the school staff member responsible for implementation oversight
• Review dates — the Directorate recommends termly formal reviews, with the right for parents to trigger an unscheduled review at any time

If any of these elements are missing from the proposed ILP document, do not sign it. Note your objections in writing at the meeting and request revised documentation before signing.

Step 6: Goal Setting at the Meeting

The most common failure point in ACT ILPs is vague, unmeasurable goals. Common examples of unacceptable goals:

• "The student will improve their behaviour in class"
• "Support will be provided to help [student] with reading"
• "The student will work toward grade-level expectations"

None of these can be measured, reviewed, or held accountable. For every proposed goal, ask:

• What will we measure?
• Who will measure it?
• How often will it be measured?
• What is the target that indicates success?
• What is the review trigger if progress stalls?

If the meeting ends without SMART goals, request a follow-up meeting to finalise goal language before signing.

Step 7: The SCAN Process

Beyond the ILP, the SCAN (Student Centred Appraisal of Need) is an ACT-specific process that determines how much centralised resourcing — including Learning Support Assistant hours — the school can access. A trained Directorate moderator facilitates the SCAN alongside school staff and parents.

The SCAN assesses ten areas of educational need across Access and Participation dimensions. The assessed level determines the resourcing band. SCAN meetings are typically held in conjunction with a mid-year ILP review.

If you disagree with the SCAN outcome — for example, if you believe the moderated descriptors underestimate your child's support needs — you have the right to lodge a formal appeal. Document your reasons in writing and request that your objection is recorded in the SCAN documentation.

Step 8: After the Meeting

The ILP must be produced as a finalised, written, signed document. Do not rely on verbal commitments from the meeting. Within 24 hours of any meeting, send a summary email to the Case Coordinator and principal confirming:

• The agreed adjustments
• The assigned responsible staff
• The review dates
• Any unresolved disagreements

This email creates a legally significant paper trail. If the school later claims an adjustment was not agreed, you have a dated record.

Step 9: Monitoring and Review

The ILP is a living document. Review should happen at least once per term. Between reviews, if agreed adjustments are not being implemented, contact the Case Coordinator in writing first. If there's no resolution, escalate to the principal.

If reviews consistently show that the agreed goals are not being met, the ILP must be revised — not extended with the same unmet goals.

When the Process Breaks Down

If the school refuses to initiate an ILP, delays meetings indefinitely, produces ILPs without measurable goals, or fails to implement agreed adjustments, the escalation pathway is:

1. ACT Education Directorate — formal complaint via the Directorate's Families and Students, Complaints and Feedback Unit (phone: 02 6205 5429)
2. ACT Human Rights Commission — complaint under the Discrimination Act 1991 if the school's conduct constitutes disability discrimination
3. ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) — legally binding orders, within 60 days of the Human Rights Commission closing the complaint

Free advocacy support is available through ADACAS and Advocacy for Inclusion, though demand is high and waitlists apply. If you need to act before advocacy support is available, the ACT Parent's Tactical Playbook provides the meeting scripts, email templates, and escalation frameworks to navigate the process independently.

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