The School Counselor and the Individualized Education Program Process

(Adopted 2026)

ASCA Position

School counselors are collaborative members of the individualized education program (IEP) team who advocate for students with disabilities. School counselors should not be designated as case managers, administrative designees, local education agency representatives or long-term clinical service providers in the IEP process, as these roles compromise delivery of the school counseling program to each and every student.

The Rationale

School counselors are essential collaborators who support academic, career and social/emotional development for each and every student. When school counselors are placed in administrative, case management or mandated service provider roles, their ability to deliver Tier 1 direct student services to each and every student is hindered, and it may also create risks related to licensure, ethics and the provision of a free, appropriate public education (Wikoff, 2020; Stone & Dahir, 2016). 

The School Counselor's Role

School counselors deliver a school counseling program that improves life-readiness and academic success for each and every student. School counselors maintain clear professional boundaries between the role of the school counselor and the IEP process, ensuring their role remains aligned with school counselor professional and ethical standards (ASCA, 2022a; ASCA, 2025). 
 
School counselors align their school counseling program with the multitiered system of supports (MTSS) process, which further reinforces their professional boundaries in the IEP process. School counseling programs aligned with MTSS include: 
  • Tier 1 – Proactive developmental strategies for each and every student and programs for families and staff: Deliver classroom, grade-level and schoolwide programming that promotes learning strategies, self-management skills and social skills
  • Tier 2 – Interventions for some students: Provide small-group and individual counseling for students, and referrals, consultation and collaboration with education partners
  • Tier 3 – Indirect services for few students: Recognize and respond to intensive academic, behavioral and mental health needs through referrals, consultation and collaboration (ASCA, 2025) 
School counselors participate as team members of the IEP team when appropriate, serving as collaborators and consultants within multidisciplinary teams supporting students with disabilities (Reese, 2021; Hines et al., 2019). To safeguard their Tier 1 role promoting life-readiness and academic success for each and every student, school counselors should not be designated as case managers, administrative designees, local education agency representatives or long-term clinical service providers. 
 
When participating as members of the IEP team, school counselors: 
 
Provide Advocacy and Access
  • Advocate for students in the IEP process by ensuring their voice, strengths and needs are represented and promote equitable access to rigorous coursework, school programs and postsecondary opportunities (ASCA, 2022b, Geltner & Leibforth, 2008)
  • Advocate that services included in the IEP are delivered in the least-restrictive environment, including Tier 1 and Tier 2
Provide Social/Emotional and Behavioral Insight
  • Provide insight into the student’s functioning, including peer relationships, coping skills, behavior patterns and emotional regulation, and help connect these factors to academic performance and school success (Buckley & Mahdavi, 2018)
  • Assist the team in identifying student needs and contribute to the development of appropriate, measurable, school-based supports aligned with IEP goals (Barna & Nice, 2021; Frazier et al., 2022)
Provide College, Career and Transition Planning
  • Support college and career readiness by contributing to transition planning, aligning IEP goals with postsecondary outcomes related to education, employment and independent living (Challenger et al., 2024).
Clarify the Role of Counseling Services in IEPs
  • Distinguish between school-based counseling and long-term clinical therapy as it pertains to the school environment
  • Collaborate with the IEP team to determine when Tier 3 intensive or clinical mental health services beyond the scope of school counseling practice are needed

Summary

When school counselors operate within their appropriate role as collaborative advocates in the IEP process, students with disabilities receive more equitable access to opportunities and more support for life-readiness and academic success. School counselors focus on the inclusion of students with IEPs into their school counseling program rather than serve in administrative, case management roles or long-term clinical service providers for the IEP. 

References

American School Counselor Association. (2025). ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies
 
American School Counselor Association. (2022a). Ethical Standards for School Counselors
 
American School Counselor Association. (2022b). The School Counselor and Students with Disabilities
 
Barna, J.S., & Nice, M.L. (2021). The school counselor’s role in supporting students with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder with the transition to college. Journal of School Counseling, 19(36). 
 
Buckley, M. & Mahdavi, J.N. (2018). Bringing children from the margins to the page: School counselors supporting students with Learning Disabilities. Journal of School Counseling, 16 (23). Retrieved from http://www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v16n23.pdf
 
Challenger, C.D., Lombardi, A.R., Duquette, K., Esposito, C., & DeJesus, J. (2025). Strategies to increase collaboration between school counselors and transition specialists: A multi-tiered approach to college and career readiness. Journal of Education, 205(2), 153-165. 
 
Frazier TW, Crowley E, Shih A, Vasudevan V, Karpur A, Uljarevic M and Cai RY (2022) Associations between executive functioning, challenging behavior, and quality of life in children and adolescents with and without neurodevelopmental conditions. Frontier Psychology, 13:1022700. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1022700
 
Geltner, J. A., & Leibforth, T. N. (2008). Advocacy in the IEP Process: Strengths-Based School Counseling in Action. Professional School Counseling, 12(2).
 
Hines, E. M., Lemons, R. W., & Crews, C. (2019). School counselors as collaborators within a multitiered system of supports. Journal of School Counseling, 17(20), 1–32.
 
Hines, EM, Vega, DD, Mayers, R., Harris, PC., Mack, M. (2019). School counselors and school psychologists as collaborators of college and career readiness for students in urban school settings. Journal for Multicultural Education, Vol. 13 (3), pp. 190-202.
 
La Sierra University. (n.d.). School counselor vs. clinical counseling professional: What’s the difference? La Sierra University. https://www.lapu.edu/post/school-counselor-vs-clinical-counseling-professional-whats-the-difference
 
Martin-Perkins, K. (2025). Insights into school administrators’ perceptions: Navigating the role of school counselors through lived experiences. Walden University.
 
Novak, O., Oehrtman, J., & Vostal, B. (2024). School counselors’ role in supporting CCR and the impact of disability status.
 
Ockerman, M. S., Mason, E. C. M., & Chen-Hayes, S. F. (2012). School counseling and multitiered systems of support: A collaboration for systemic change. Journal of School Counseling, 10(2), 1–34.
 
Reese, D. M. (2021). School counselor preparation to support inclusivity, equity, and access for students of color with disabilities. Frontiers in Education, 6, 588528.https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.588528
 
Stone, C., & Dahir, C. (2016). The transformed school counselor (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.
 
Stone, C. (2017). School counselor ethical decision making: A model for practice. American School Counselor Association.
 
Stone, C. (2022). School counseling principles: Ethics and law (5th ed.). American School Counselor Association.
 
Sugai, G., & Horner, R. (2002). The evolution of discipline practices: School-wide positive behavior supports. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 24(1–2), 23–50. https://doi.org/10.1300/J019v24n01_03
 
Wikoff, H. D. (2020). Use-of-time assessments: Ensuring school counselors focus on appropriate duties. American School Counselor Association.
 
Ziomek-Daigle, J.(2023). Tier 3: Specialized services for students with intensive needs. In E. Goodman-Scott, J. Betters-Bubon, P. Donohue, & J. Olsen (Eds.), The school counselor's guide to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (2nd ed., pp. 218–240). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315144467-6