Module 5: Encouraging Self-Advocacy through Student-Led IEP Meetings

Sara Kupzyk; Apryl Poch

Module 5: Encouraging Self-Advocacy through Student-Led IEP Meetings

“To many students, the IEP process and meeting may appear as alien and awkward as an annual birthday party that they do not help plan or attend.” (VanDyke et al., 2006, p. 45).

This quote shows an unfortunate situation for some students receiving special education services- a team talking about and making decisions for the student without their input. Doronkin and colleagues (2020) found that even when middle and high school students attended their IEP meetings, the meetings often took place as if they are not even there. Their results also showed that family members were given few opportunities to talk during the meetings. The table below shows the main themes they found from reviewing transcripts from IEP meetings. As you review them think about how the family and student might feel during the meeting. What steps would you take to better engage families and students? What supports would you need to stay away from these meeting pitfalls?

	Description
The Instant Vision	Students were abruptly asked to come up with their vision for the future, and in most cases, with no preparation.
Out of Focus	The special education teacher dominated the meetings. Students were talked about as if they were not there until the meeting leader for to the transition section of the IEP. Parents spoke little (often said ‘uh-huh’, ‘okay’, and ‘yeah’ rather than complete sentences) and were sometimes cut off. Goals were made by the teacher instead of as a team.
Form-Driven Meetings	Rather than the needs and goals of students driving the meeting, the IEP form did so (e.g., focusing on page numbers, continuing to the next section, and goals they listed by the teacher before the meeting).
One-Size Fits All	When there were back-to-back meetings, the information and phrases used were similar (e.g., same set of goals, modifications listed did not always connect to student needs) rather than individualized. Meetings often started negatively and seemed driven by time constraints. Introductions and goals of the meeting were rarely discussed at the start. Lots of jargon was used and never clarified unless someone directly asked. Families rarely asked for clarification. Concerns that were brought up by members of the team were ignored or not addressed in the IEP.

Modified from Dornkin et al. (2020)

Engaging families and students in IEP meetings can help us to address many of the pitfalls in the table above. Student-led meetings is one approach that can help keep the focus on the student, their goals, and individualization of the IEP. Since young children and students with more significant needs might have difficulty articulating their preferences, a more traditional, teacher-led meeting might be more used. However, involving the student to the extent possible as early as possible is useful for building students’ understanding of their preferences, needs, what works well for them, and provides an opportunity to build self-determination skills. Watch this video from INCLUDEnyc that shares the importance and tips for self-advocacy.

Video: 10 Self-Advocacy Tips for Young People with Disabilities

This video shares one school’s experience with using student-led IEPs

Video: Success with Student-Led IEP Meetings

Davis and colleagues (2019) provided an overview of 5 stages for planning and implementing student-led IEPs. Their focus was on transition planning, but similar stages can be used for younger students as highlighted in the video above.

Stage	Description
1: Developing Background Knowledge	Help students understand… Their disability and impact on learning and functioning at home, school, and in the community Services and accommodations that are helpful Their IEP—finding information in the IEP, sharing a checklist of IEP components The IEP process—share commonly used terms, abbreviations, and acronyms, roles of different IEP team members, laws and rights
2: Planning for the Meeting	Help students… Learn about their strengths and needs, establish goals, and organize materials – gather and learn how to share data from teachers and family Write and distribute invitations to the other team members
3: Drafting the IEP	Help students… Share information about the present level of performance Set goals— “I will” statements Review the IEP draft to see if they agree or disagree with the information Learn about and identify potential services and accommodations Get feedback from other team members about the IEP draft Prepare to run the meeting through role plays and prompting
4: Meeting to finalize the IEP	Help students… Follow the meeting steps Starting the meeting Introduce yourself and members of the team State the purpose of the meeting Leading the meeting Review past goals and performance Review current level of performance and progress Report interests, strengths, and areas or need Closing the meeting Summarize decisions Thank the members of the team Close the meeting Understand and answer questions
5: IEP Implementation	Help students: Create a summary sheet to share with the team that includes Disability Strengths and needs Required services Accommodations Continue to use self-advocacy skills in other real-life situations

Bross (2022) and Davis (2019) shared several free online resources and curriculum to increase student participation in IEPs including:

IRIS Center Secondary Transition: Student-Centered Transition Planning

Whose Future is it Anyway? A Student Directed Transition Planning Process

National Technical Assistance Center on Transition Self-Determination Presenter Guide

Student-Led IEPs: A Guide for Student Involvement by McGahee et al. (2001)

Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment Choice Maker Self-Determination Transition Curriculum materials

Bross and colleagues (2022) also outlined ways to apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework to enhance student engagement in IEP meetings. UDL provides flexibility in how information is presented and the ways students respond or demonstrate skills, and decreases barriers to learning by providing appropriate accommodations and supports. For example, members of the IEP team might provide prompts for goals, checklists, list of terms that might be used, or allow the student to use different ways to share the information (e.g., Google document, presentation, JamBoard).

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Family-Engaged Educational Training: Taking Steps to Build Meaningful Family-School Partnerships Copyright © 2024 by Sara Kupzyk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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