Student Involvement in Individualized Education Program Meetings

Abstract

We conducted a review of the literature to investigate interventions designed to increase students' involvement in their individualized education program (IEP) process. Sixteen studies were identified and analyzed in terms of six variables: purpose, participants/setting, design, dependent variables, independent variable, and results. Our findings suggest that students with widely varying disabilities can be actively involved in the IEP process. Our results also indicate that both published curricula designed to teach students skills to enhance their participation prior to IEP meetings and person-centered planning strategies are effective in increasing students' involvement in their IEP meetings, as substantiated through direct observation; scores on measures of self-determination; and/or feedback from participants, parents, and teachers. We discuss the results in terms of implications for practice and research, the need for future studies to assess the impact of student participation on students' daily lives, and the need for institutions of higher education to prepare teachers to include students in the IEP process.

Promoting Self-Determination for Transition-Age Youth: Views of High School General and Special Educators

“…Recognizing the potential tension between these dual trends. Test et al (2004) asked, "Can self-determination peacefully co-exist with standards-based reforms and access to the general curriculum?" (p. 408).…”

Self-Determination and Choice

“…There are a number of such instructional programs and packages. Test et al ( 2004 ) conducted an extensive review of the literature pertaining to student involvement and determined that students across disability categories can be successfully involved in transition planning, and a number of programs, including those mentioned subsequently, are effective in increasing student involvement. Three such planning efforts have evidence of their effi cacy with students with intellectual disability.…”

The Effect of Transition Planning Participation and Goal-Setting on College Enrollment Among Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Research suggests that students are increasingly attending IEP and transition planning meetings (Test et al, 2004), but they participate relatively little without direct instruction regarding the purposes and procedures of those meetings (Griffin, Taylor, Urbano, & Hodapp, 2014;Martin et al, 2006;Mason, McGahee-Kovac, Johnson, & Stillerman, 2002;Wehmeyer, Palmer, Soukup, Garner, & Lawrence, 2007). Nonetheless, reviews of research on transitionrelated best practices are united in asserting that student involvement is an important element of effective transition plans and programs (Greene, 2003;Hendricks & Wehman, 2009;Kohler, 1993;Landmark, Ju, & Zhang, 2010).…”