I’m excited to introduce this week’s guest bloggers: Kasey and Madison from Ability Driven Teaching to talk all about how to start involving students in the IEP process!
Make sure you check out another perspective from a special education teacher here!
Have you ever been in one of those IEP meetings where it’s only adults and the student isn’t there? Or worse, have you been in an IEP meeting with a student who doesn’t know why they are in the IEP meeting? We all know that this happens and that it isn’t best practice.
Nevertheless, big or small, there are so many opportunities for you to include your student in the IEP process throughout the school year!
We are two special educators who believe in teaching self-advocacy skills and involving students in the IEP process because…it’s all about them! Kasey taught at the high school level and Madison teaches at the elementary school level, so we have got you covered no matter what grade you teach.
Here’s the thing,
In fact, parents and administrators will love that you taught the student to advocate for themself and take an active role in their meeting! In this blog post, we are breaking down the different ways that you can support involving students in the IEP process.
The best part?
First of all, every student can have a part in their IEP, no matter how young. Like the IEP itself, this is an individualized practice, not one size fits all. Maybe your younger students sit at the head of the table and introduce themselves and their IEP team by name. Or maybe they greet everyone as they enter the meeting space. Having your student involved in a positive way at the beginning of an IEP meeting sets the tone and realigns everyone’s mindset to be student centered. You are involving students in the IEP process!
These are the years you can really help to shape a student’s perspective on what having an IEP means. You can meet with your student prior to the meeting and have them help you “write” parts of their IEP. This document is about them and there is so much power in involving them in the early stages of developing that document. They can give input on their progress, things they think they need to help them succeed, and future academic and transition goals. In the meeting they can be involved in the introduction as well as the meat of the meeting. If they are comfortable, have them create a presentation about their school year, progress, future goals, and things they need to help them succeed at school. You are involving students in the IEP process!
Have fun with it while taking it seriously. I’m serious… This is an important meeting for all parties involved, especially the student. Explain that to them, have them dress professionally for their meeting or let them help plan it out and set it up. I’ve had students dress up, clean/clear the meeting space, pick refreshments for their meeting, and set up pens and other meeting necessities. We all come to the table understanding why we are there with a positive attitude, including the student! It makes the process so much more meaningful than your typical dry IEP meeting that could lose focus. You are involving students in the IEP process!
“Welcome to my IEP meeting! I’m getting ready for 5th grade!” You are involving students in the IEP process!
It’s a federal requirement that high school students, aged 16 and older, have postsecondary goals in their annual IEP. In your state, the requirement may be that this begins at a younger age (example: in Virginia the requirement is age 14). Keep in mind, even though postsecondary goals are not a requirement until the student is a teenager, you can start this process at any time! An easy way to involve students in their IEP process is to have them present a transition plan at their meeting.
These are the main parts of the postsecondary goals. Most likely, the student’s postsecondary goals will change over time (ex. at age 13 they want to be a doctor, but at 16 they want to join the army). This is okay and it means that they are thinking about which career best suits them. Remember, all of these goals are for after the student graduates from high school:
Employment: What is the student’s career goal? Do they want to be a baker, accountant, grocery store clerk, nurse…
Postsecondary education and training: This should relate to their career choice.
Ex. I want to be an astronaut. I don’t really want to go to college. I’ll become an astronaut right after high school.
Independent Living skills: There are so many independent living skills that you can incorporate in the student’s IEP. Have them think about:
Help your student create a powerpoint or flyer that they can present at their IEP meeting. Have them practice their presentation with you before the actual meeting. If they are very uncomfortable speaking at their meeting, encourage them to tell the team just one part of their plan and you will assist them with the rest. The powerpoint/flyer does not need to have the IEP goals on it (this specific language and wording could be tricky for the student)- have the student put on there what they feel comfortable talking about. You are involving students in the IEP process!
Their presentation could be all pictures and they talk about them (ex. picture of a plumber and a picture of a nearby vocational school). Have them include their career plan, postsecondary education plan, and independent living skills plan. This can spark great conversations at the meeting with the team! These are just a few ways to start involving your students in the IEP process!
Finally, remember the most important part of an IEP meeting is the student! You can’t go wrong by making it more student centered. We encourage you to try one of our strategies for involving your students in their next IEP meeting. To see more tips from us, or share your IEP stories with us, contact us through our Instagram or either of our websites (our information is below). We’d love to hear from you! You are involving students in the IEP process!
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