For some special education teachers, the thought of including students in the IEP process is energizing, and for other special education teachers, this thought is incredibly overwhelming.
The vast spectrum of student needs that fall under the special education umbrella allows for a wide variety of participation possibilities within the IEP process. With careful consideration, planning, and differentiation – it can be done for all of our students.
When thinking about the IEP process, we need to think of it holistically – not just in the creation of the document. Including students will look different depending on student age and ability, but it can and should be done.
An important question to start with is this: do you students know their IEP goals? Start today and ensure that your preschooler, 4th grader, or 20 year old student knows their goals.
Use their preferred mode of communication: written, symbol-supported, or sign language – whatever it might be, meet your student where they’re at and be sure they’re aware of the goals they’re working towards.
Listen to this audio clip from a live training in The Intentional IEP about student participation in IEP meetings.
You can join The Intentional IEP to gain access to over 150+ different IEP-related trainings, and access to our IEP Goal Bank. Click the image above to join!
The IEP process includes frequent progress monitoring and data collection, not just writing goals! Can students work towards understanding how they’re making progress?
Showing students graphs, having students graph their own progress, and allowing students to share their opinion on how they’re progressing through rubrics and self reflections can be really empowering.
Regardless of the age or ability level of your student, they have important and relevant interests that can be added into their IEP!
For younger students, and students with more significant disabilities, be sure to include information from preference assessments! Adding in student interests and preferences to relevant areas of the IEP can ensure that regardless of the adult working with the student, they’ll be engaged with material that interests them.
Some students will have the ability to advocate for information and skills that they want to learn. Be sure to interview students to ensure that the IEP goals include skills students also WANT to learn!
For our older students with transition plans, it’s imperative that we include their postsecondary interests, hopes, and goals into every inch of their transition plan. This is a fun, and simple, way to ensure that student voices shine through in their IEP.
The Intentional IEP Live trainings also include this one talking about using students interests and vision statements in the IEP itself. You can grab a resource to help students create their vision statements when you join.
Click the image above to join!
For some schools, inviting students to IEP meetings is a given, and part of the school culture. For other schools, this only happens if the student has a transition plan and an ability level that lends itself to sitting through an IEP meeting.
To ensure students have a vital voice in their IEP, why not make a point to invite every child to every IEP meeting? Special education teachers are wizards when it comes to accommodating, modifying, and differentiating, so why should an IEP meeting be any different?
Some students can, and may want to, attend their entire meeting from beginning to end. Some students may attend for the first 5 minutes so they can use their AAC device to introduce themselves and thank the team members for attending.
In whatever way possible, having a student attend their IEP meeting keeps them at the center of the document, encourages independence, and reminds everyone that they are also a member of the team.
While IEPs are about students, it’s so easy for us to forget to actually include them in the annual IEP process. Making sure that students have a role, no matter how big or small, can help set the tone and encourage the entire team to always keep the focus on what’s most important – them!
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