Charting the LifeCourse: A Tool for IEP Development

You’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself. This webpage offers helpful resources, including step-by-step guidance for using the CtLC tools. In addition, SSD’s FACE (Family and Community Engagement) team is always available to support families in navigating and completing the tools together. We also encourage you to reach out to your student’s case manager, who can answer questions and connect you with further support.

Whether you’re just getting started or need a little extra guidance along the way, we’re here to help!

Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) is a framework designed to help individuals, families, caregivers, and professionals create a clear, personalized pathway for a student’s success. It encourages a holistic approach by focusing on long-term goals and aspirations across key life areas such as health, education, community involvement, and independent living. The process includes developing a vision for the future, identifying the student’s strengths and interests, and determining the best ways to provide support. The student’s team also considers their current level of performance to identify the next best steps toward achieving the future vision. Ultimately, CtLC empowers students to make choices about their life. These conversation tools families and teams to work together in building a meaningful and achievable plan for their student's lifelong development.

Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) complements the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) by broadening the focus beyond academics. While the IEP targets specific educational goals and services, CtLC helps families and educators envision and plan for success across all areas of life—including social relationships, employment, community involvement, and daily living skills. Together, these tools provide a more comprehensive approach to supporting the student’s overall growth and long-term success.

No, families are not required to fill out the CtLC tools in order to have a CtLC-informed IEP. Instead, the guiding conversation prompts from the Charting the LifeCourse framework will serve as the standard format for all IEP meetings, ensuring that the student’s strengths, interests, and future goals are meaningfully considered throughout the planning process.

Your responses, along with your student’s, will be used during the IEP meeting to help shape a personalized plan for the upcoming IEP cycle. This input gives staff a deeper understanding of your student and family, allowing them to recommend programs, services, and supports that are tailored to meet your student’s unique needs and goals.

While we encourage every student to participate in their IEP process to the extent they’re comfortable, we understand that not all students may feel ready or willing to attend or actively engage in the meeting. Participation is always encouraged but never required—it’s ultimately a decision made by each student and their family. Even if your student chooses not to attend, their voice will still be represented. By completing the CtLC tools ahead of time, your student’s thoughts, preferences, and goals will be woven into the conversation, ensuring their perspective is central to the planning process.

Yes! Families can request a draft copy of the IEP from their case manager. Please note that there is a limited window of time to review and provide feedback. Any edits at this stage should focus on clarifying existing statements, adding comments or services that were discussed and agreed upon during the meeting but were accidentally left out, or ensuring that meeting notes are accurately reflected.

If there are changes needed to goals, service minutes, or other elements that were agreed upon, those adjustments can be made at any point through the amendment process.

It’s completely normal for students to dream big—even if those dreams don’t seem realistic on the surface. Instead of focusing on whether the vision is achievable, we look deeper at the values and qualities behind it. For example, if a student wants to be a superhero, what does that tell us? Maybe they admire bravery, compassion, helping others, or standing up for what's right. We can use those qualities to guide real, meaningful goals—like building self-advocacy skills, forming strong friendships, exploring volunteer opportunities, or finding ways to support others in their community. Every vision holds important clues about what motivates and inspires a student!

For families of older students, these dreams can be further unpacked using transition assessments and planning tools to explore realistic career pathways that align with the same interests and values. For example, if a student dreams of being a professional athlete but hasn’t participated in sports programs, we might explore active professions like physical therapy, coaching, personal training, or roles in sports media or journalism. The goal isn’t to dismiss the dream, but to discover the themes behind it—and help students take meaningful steps toward a future that excites and empowers them.

Staff use a variety of strategies to engage students in completing the CtLC tools, tailored to each student’s communication style and preferences. These strategies may include vision boards, classroom discussions and activities, writing prompts, one-on-one interviews, picture supports, and augmentative or alternative communication methods. By drawing on their understanding of how each student best expresses themselves, staff ensure that every student has a meaningful opportunity to share their vision and actively participate in the planning process.

Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) is designed to meet families where they are—whether you're focused on the big picture or just trying to manage the day-to-day. You don’t need to have all the answers about the future right now. The CtLC framework helps create space for reflection, supports, and next steps that feel manageable and meaningful in the present. It can help you identify what’s working, what your student needs right now, and how to make small, realistic progress—without the pressure of having a fully defined future. Even in uncertain times, this model can offer clarity, connection, and direction.