When Present Levels Say Everything Except What the Child Actually Does

A common IEP pattern is that present levels contain plenty of words but very little useful picture of the child’s actual school day.

The section may list diagnoses, general strengths, broad concerns, or language copied forward from an earlier document. But it may not explain what happens when the student moves through the building, participates in routines, uses equipment, manages transitions, or tries to access instruction.

When that story is missing, the rest of the IEP has to balance on air. Better practice writes present levels that a caregiver can recognize and a team can use.