Student-Led IEPs

Module 1 begins with a brief introduction to the Center for Change in Transition Services and an overview of transition planning for students with disabilities. It identifies the four performance indicators for secondary transition and the role that quality Individual Education Programs (IEPs) play in preparing students for post-school success.

This module explores what traditional IEP meetings have looked like, and what it means to truly include student voices in those meetings. It examines the benefits of increased student participation and why those benefits matter even more for students who have historically been excluded from general education settings. The module concludes by outlining four steps for preparing students to be involved in their IEP meeting: assessing students, building skills, understanding the IEP, and planning for participation.

• Module 1 Overview
• Center for Change in Transition Services
• Writing Effective Transition Plans Review
• IEP Meetings and Student Voice
• Defining the Student-Led IEP
• Benefits of Increased Student Participation
• Steps to Prepare Students
• Module 1 Summary

Module 2 addresses the first steps towards involving students in their IEPs: assessing students and informing/involving their families and caregivers.

Assessment is the foundation of everything that follows. Before we can prepare students to participate in their IEP meetings, we need to understand their strengths, communication styles, and what supports they need to grow. This module introduces tools and approaches for assessing students' self-determination skills, and strategies for bringing families and caregivers into the process as partners.

Equity and inclusion note: the assessment step applies to all students, including students who communicate nonverbally or use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and students with significant cognitive or adaptive delays. Historically, these students have often been excluded from this step entirely. It is also important to recognize that students and families bring their own cultural frameworks to conversations about disability, goals, and participation, which is important to keep in mind both when selecting assessment tools and interpreting results.

• Module 2 Overview
• Assessesing Self Determination Skills
• Partering with Families/Caregivers
• Module 2 Summary

The second step in preparing students for IEP involvement is developing the skills of self-awareness, self-advocacy, and self-determination. These skills are interconnected. Students who understand who they are (self-awareness) are better equipped to speak up for what they need (self-advocacy), and students who can do both are in a good position to set goals and make meaningful decisions about their futures (self-determination). These skills develop over time through intentional instruction, repeated practice, and real opportunities to use them across school, home, and community settings.

Equity and Inclusion Note: Skill-building in self-awareness, self-advocacy, and self-determination looks different for every student. Every student starts where they are. For some, that might mean choosing between two options, using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device to express a preference, or indicating a like or dislike. These are all meaningful expressions of these skills. It is also important to recognize that cultural context shapes how these skills are expressed and valued. Take time to ask families what self-awareness, self-advocacy, and self-determination mean to them and what they hope these skills look like for their child.

• Module 3 Overview
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Advocacy
• Self-Determination
• Module 3 Summary

Module 4 addresses ways to ensure that students understand their IEP, including the components and their rights. These are areas that students should be familiar with as they prepare to lead their own meetings.

• Module 4 Overview
• Understanding IEPs
• Module 4 Summary

Module 5 addresses the final step in preparing students to lead their IEPs: planning for participation. It explores ways to prepare students and to make delivery accommodations in meetings.

• Module 5 Overview
• Student Preparation
• Delivery Accommodations
• Module 5 Summary

Module 6 begins by exploring what student involvement in the IEP looks like in elementary years, middle school years, and high school years. It introduces a tool for thinking about approaching complex change. And finally, the IEP Continuum from Module 1 is revisited to set goals for next steps.

• Module 6 Overview
• Student Involvement
• Understanding the Change Process
• Setting Goals on the Student Participation Continuum
• Module 6 Summary

Please consider taking five minutes to reflect on what you’ve learned throughout this course and share it in the Post-Training Reflection Guide.

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