Michigan IEP Team Members, Annual Review, and Related Services: What's Required

Three IEP questions Michigan parents ask repeatedly: Who has to be at the meeting? What actually happens at the annual review? And what services can my child receive beyond academic instruction? Here are the answers, grounded in what MARSE actually requires.

Who Must Be on the Michigan IEP Team

Under MARSE Rule 340.1705, the Individualized Education Program Team (IEPT) must include specific members at every IEP meeting. These aren't suggestions — each role has a legal function.

Parents or guardians. You are a required member of your child's IEP team, not a guest. The district must make every reasonable effort to ensure parent participation, including scheduling meetings at mutually convenient times, notifying you far enough in advance to attend, and offering alternative participation methods (phone or video conference) if you cannot attend in person.

At least one general education teacher. If the student is in, or may be in, general education settings, a general ed teacher who teaches the student (or who would teach the student) must be present. This teacher participates in discussions about supplementary aids, program modifications, and accommodations — not just special education-specific content.

At least one special education teacher or specialist. Someone who delivers or will deliver specially designed instruction to the student. For some students, this is a resource room teacher; for others, it's a specialized program instructor.

A district representative. This person must be qualified to provide or supervise special education services, be knowledgeable about general education, and — critically — have the authority to commit district resources. A representative who has to "check with the special ed director" before agreeing to any service isn't fulfilling this role. Call it out if it happens.

An individual qualified to interpret evaluation results. This person explains what the evaluation data means for instruction. The role can be filled by one of the above members — it doesn't require a separate attendee — but someone at the table must have that expertise.

The student. When appropriate, and always beginning at age 16 (or younger if the team decides), the student must be invited. At transition planning meetings, the student's attendance is especially important because the goals being set are fundamentally about their own future.

Other individuals with relevant knowledge. Parents may invite anyone with knowledge or expertise relevant to the child — this includes private therapists, outside advocates, medical providers, or anyone else who can contribute meaningfully. The school cannot block this without legal justification.

Excusing team members. Under the 2024 MARSE updates to Rule 340.1705, a required team member can be excused from a meeting only if the parent provides written consent to the excusal, and the excused member submits written input before the meeting. Both conditions must be met. If a critical service provider wasn't there and you didn't sign anything, raise the procedural issue.

What the Annual IEP Review Is and What Must Happen

Every IEP must be reviewed at least annually — this is one of the non-negotiable timelines in both IDEA and MARSE. The annual review must be completed within 12 months of the previous IEP meeting date. Districts that let IEPs lapse past their anniversary date are in violation.

The annual review is not just a formality. The team must:

Review current performance data. The PLAAFP (Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance) must be updated with current data showing the student's actual progress. Progress reports — which districts are required to provide as often as report cards are issued — feed into this review. If your child's annual review is happening and the team can't produce current objective data on the student's performance, that's a problem.

Evaluate progress toward annual goals. Each goal in the IEP has a measurable target. The team reviews whether the student is on track to meet each goal by the end of the year. If goals aren't being met, the team must analyze why and adjust — more services, different services, or revised goals. "We'll try harder next year" is not an IEP revision strategy.

Determine whether goals, services, and placement remain appropriate. The annual review is the moment to revisit every element: Are the goals still relevant to current needs? Are the services adequate? Is the placement in the least restrictive environment? Service levels can go up or down, but any reduction in services requires data to support it — the district can't just cut occupational therapy because the therapist is stretched thin.

Address Extended School Year (ESY). The team must explicitly discuss and document its determination of ESY eligibility at every annual review. This isn't optional — MARSE Rule 340.1721e requires it. If ESY isn't on the agenda, put it there.

Plan for transitions. If the student is approaching age 16 or approaching a major school transition (elementary to middle, middle to high school), transition planning must be addressed or initiated.

If you can't attend the annual review in person, you can participate by phone or video. What you shouldn't do is miss it entirely and sign documents afterward without discussion — annual reviews conducted without parent participation are a significant procedural problem.

Related Services: What Michigan Schools Must Provide

Related services are support services required to help a student with a disability benefit from special education. They're not extras — they're part of FAPE. MARSE defines related services broadly, and the list of what's available is longer than most parents realize.

Common related services in Michigan IEPs:

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. The most commonly provided related service in Michigan. Covers articulation, language processing, fluency, pragmatics, and augmentative communication. If your child has communication needs that affect classroom participation, this should be on the IEP.

Occupational Therapy (OT). Addresses fine motor skills, sensory processing, handwriting, visual-motor integration, and self-care skills. Often provided for students with autism, developmental disabilities, or physical disabilities affecting school participation.

Physical Therapy (PT). Addresses gross motor skills, mobility, and physical access to the school environment. Required when a student's physical needs affect their access to education.

Psychological services. Includes counseling, social work, and mental health supports. If a student has anxiety, depression, or emotional regulation difficulties that affect their ability to function in school, psychological services are a legitimate related service.

School health services. Nursing support for students who require medical management during the school day — medication administration, catheterization, tube feeding, seizure monitoring.

Orientation and mobility. For students with visual impairments who need to learn to navigate the school and community safely.

Transportation. When a student's disability requires specialized transportation — adapted buses, door-to-door pickup, a transportation aide — it's a related service the district must provide at no cost. See below.

Social work services. Addresses the family context affecting the student's education, including connecting families to community resources and supporting attendance and behavior management.

Assistive technology. Devices and services required for a student to access their IEP — covered in detail under the assistive technology consideration requirement.

The Michigan IEP & 504 Blueprint includes a full related services reference guide with criteria for requesting each service and how to push back when a district says a student "doesn't need" therapy without supporting data.

When the School Says Your Child Doesn't Need Related Services

The district must provide related services when they are required for the student to benefit from special education — not only when the school's staffing situation allows it. Budget constraints and staff shortages are not legal justifications for denying related services.

If a school says your child "doesn't qualify" for OT or speech, ask: "On what specific data is that determination based, and can the team provide Prior Written Notice of the decision not to provide this service?" That question alone often moves the conversation forward, because the district must then document its reasoning in writing — which is harder to sustain if the reasoning doesn't meet the legal standard.

If you disagree with the team's determination about related services, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) in that specific area — for example, a private occupational therapy evaluation — and the district must either fund it or take the dispute to an Administrative Law Judge.

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