"My seventh-grade son has an Individual Education Plan for reading and one for math. These are for kids who work slower and can definitely work in the normal classroom; they don't need to be separated. I strongly advocated on his behalf because I just knew all he needed was more help. He has never really felt it was a stigma. He's always looked at it as an advantage. The only disadvantage is if a kid needs the help and doesn't get it ... It just means that he and his buddies with IEPs get extra time on tests, a bit more individual attention to understand an assignment ...

"A lot of parents don't want to admit that their kids are falling behind. Some think IEP means special ed and that it means retarded. It has a lot of stigma among parents, so parents don't ask for and get the services their child absolutely needs."

— Katie Douglas, Ballard mother of two teen sons with Individual Education Plans