Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement ASPIRE Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement Family Presentation “School Name Here” Presented by: Add your school or district name (depending on how the family meetings are conducted) and the names of all the presenters at the meeting. 1

WELCOME Welcome Introduction to ASPIRE Why are we here? How ASPIRE will help Looking to the future Explanation of Pre-Survey   Strengths/Challenges Activity

ASPIRE A Collaborative Initiative between The Georgia Department of Education, Division for Special Education and Student Services and The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities Funded by the Georgia State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG), Georgia Department of Education through a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs, United States Department of Education and is a collaboration with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. 3

Student Engagement =Self Determination A TEAM EFFORT School engagement Family engagement Student engagement Student Engagement =Self Determination meaningful, challenging curriculum connecting school to personal goals perceiving that adults care about the student Development of basic personal skills functional and social self-determination All of these factors are interrelated with student led IEPs. 5

Self-Determination: In Plain English Knowing and believing in yourself Knowing what you want in the future AND making plans to achieve those goals Knowing and asking for the supports you need to achieve your goals Self-determination allows your child to make choices and decisions to improve his/her quality of life. In plain English - People often speak about self-determination like it’s a “thing” that someone acquires suddenly. Self-determination is a process, and for many, a learned way of behavior that leads to increased independent decision-making and goal setting. All of us want to be able to make decisions in our lives without undue pressure or influences. Studies show that students who included self-determination goals in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) were more likely to earn a higher income one year after graduation. REVIEW Strength and Challenges Activity Each person much discuss content of card with a partner Share with the group how it felt to tell about your challenges Discuss how it might feel for their child to discuss their challenges 6

Help Your Child Become Self-Determined Through: knowing their rights and responsibilities goal setting understanding accommodations problem-solving making choices about everyday activities experiencing consequences of choices understanding strengths and challenges expressing preferences What is a self-determination goal? Choice is imperative to self-awareness and self-advocacy; kids should be making choices at school and at home. When a chore is resisted, help them learn to resolve the conflict: if I wash the dishes right now, can I use the computer this evening before bed? Help your child determine the things they like, and those they don’t; The more your child knows about their preferences and strengths, the more successful he will be in communicating it to others. After graduation students are no longer under IDEA and must know how to get what they need through ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). It requires them to assert themselves. It could also be a goal with the measurable outcome of employment one year after graduation. Accommodations can be very helpful, but can also hold a child back from progress. Help your child think through the things that help him best Could be for your son or daughter to understand their disability and how it affects their learning. It could also be a series of goals relating to self-advocacy, or the ability to clearly indicate preferences. understanding their disability **INVOLVEMENT IN HIS/HER OWN IEP**

Student IEP Involvement= ASPIRE “Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement” Students participating in their IEP Active student participation in the IEP Self-directed IEP Student led IEP 8

The IEP… is a document that states the services your child will receive and where she/he will receive them. is developed by a committee that includes you, your child, his/her teachers, school administrators and other professional service providers. is an important tool that guides/measures your child’s progress from year to year. The IEP can be overwhelming to anyone who participates, so we just wanted to emphasize just a few vital components and elements. The IEP is a process that needs input from a variety of people who touch your child’s life, including you and your child. Bullet 2 outlines the IEP Team members 9

Important Parts of the IEP… Student Information Student’s eligibility area disability area Dates for annual review Members of the IEP meeting Work with the location of these areas on the sample IEP A well-written IEP is one of the most important tools your child has, for it clearly states a plan for success and attaches the needed services and supports. The IEP includes the opportunity for your input; use that opportunity to provide your perspective and concerns. All kids, ideally, should have an IEP – you child is the lucky one! 10

Important Parts of the IEP… Present Level of Performance that includes parent input (PLOP) Meaningful, measurable annual goals Results of evaluations and assessments Needed accommodations Services and supports that will be provided 11

A Student Led IEP… Increases student and family involvement and representation in the IEP process. Encourages students to play a larger role in developing their IEP, participating in their IEP meeting, and implementing their IEP. Shifts the focus from adult-centered to student centered Increase student engagement and family involvement in the educational process 12 12

Student Led IEP Meeting What are students, parents and teachers saying about student led IEPs? http://www.imdetermined.org/modules/module_three/ Note: Show Partnerships for Success SLIEP DVD or Virginia I’m Determined Video ( http://www.imdetermined.org/modules/module_three/ ). The link will take you directly to the videos of the parents and students talking about student led IEPs. If you have parents who have participated in SL-IEPs allow them a moment to share. 13

Just Imagine… …your child Creating an invitation to the IEP meeting. Introducing him/herself and others at the meeting. Selecting pictures to show at the IEP meeting about a typical school day doing the things he/she enjoys. Clicking a mouse on a computer to move from one slide to the next in a Power Point presentation and describing each slide during the meeting. 14

Just Imagine… …your child Helping to narrate and select images for a slide presentation about the subject areas he/she is good at, those he/she struggles with, and how teachers can help. Discussing goals for life after high school and how to reach them. Facilitating the agenda of the IEP meeting. Leading the meeting and mentoring other students. 15

If Your Child Does Any of These,… ...they are participating in a student led IEP 16

How Can I Help My Child Get Started? 17

Helping My Child Get Started Learn the ASPIRE Concepts NEXT Talk to your child about: IEP goals Accommodations Encourage them to do the activities needed to participate in the meeting Prepare for the IEP using the Pre-Planning Meeting handout You are learning the concepts now The next things you need to do are: (Read slide) 18

Supporting Self-Determination Focus on your child and not the disability: Love and cherish their unique characteristics we all have unique strengths, talents, gifts, interests and learning differences Recognize that your child is more like typical kids than different Use people-first language and language the student will understand Be sensitive to parents who may not want to discuss disabilities. Remember that your child already hears all of the things they can’t do – either from others or from himself; be sure to let your child know that their disability does not define who they are. While it might make us uncomfortable to discuss disabilities, your child should know how their disability affects their life at school and at home. Your child should not live in fear of what others might think. Refer to people first language handout. 19

Supporting Self-Determination Educate, don’t excuse. Discuss role models and coping and learning strategies. Know that the expectations that you have for your children greatly influence their achievements. Children with disabilities are often unmotivated due to feelings of failure, frustration and false labels (crazy, lazy, dumb). Sometimes parents feel it might be best if they don’t discuss their child’s disability; doing so may actually cause your child to continue the negative self-talk they are already engaged in – “I’m stupid, I’m no good, I can’t learn.” Let them know that you feel they can achieve great things so they begin to think of themsleves in a more positive light. 20

Supporting Self-Determination Provide feedback Praise progress and effort as well as results. Give honest and specific compliments. Provide corrective criticism when warranted. Know that by talking to your child you are modeling skills they will need to be self-determined. Your child will need to know how to correct the things that go wrong. Point out the problem and the decision they made, then help them come up with better solutions. Model the decision making process for your child; help them think through positive and negative consequences. 21

Why Should Your Child Take Control? They will take charge of their learning, with the responsibility shifting from teacher/parent to student. They will have a vested interest in achieving those goals, when students participate in IEP goal setting Inappropriate behaviors may decrease as they feel empowered to chart their own course. Inappropriate behaviors would be those associated with the loss of control or frustration. For example, students who do not like the accommodation of having tests read might resist leaving the classroom for testing, or suddenly become “sick” at testing time. 22

Taking Control in the IEP Meeting…. builds self-advocacy skills and self-esteem gives them control over their education builds important social and conversational skills teaches the processes of decision-making, goal setting and achievement helps them to understand compromise allows them to see how many people are working to help them to be successful in their educational endeavors gives them child the opportunity to participate in a team situation. Student voice in the IEP is the focus of the ASPIRE project, and it’s why we are here tonight. Understand that the IEP is all about your child; they are NEVER too young to participate and start the path to an increased role in its development and implementation. When you child participates, you can see a marked increase in many important skill areas you child will need throughout life. 23

What’s Next? Attend the meetings set up by the school Do the Vital Behaviors Expect Follow-up from Parent Mentor/representative Attend the IEP meeting and be actively involved Complete Post Survey 24

Why Is This Cake On Fire? Imagine you are a small child and hear your parents talking about your birthday party. You hear excitement in their voices. They talk, they plan, they decide who to invite, and figure out who will do each job. As time draws closer you hear more and more conversations about your birthday party, but no one ever invites you to your party. So you think “Maybe next year”. Year after year you hear the same conversation and year after year, no invitation. Finally, you become a teenager and you get your invitation. But you don’t want to go because it is not important and your parents have been doing all the work and enjoying all the cake for years. They thought you were not old enough to help. Now you think “I am so old, I do not know how to help. They have been doing it all these years. They can just keep doing it without me”. Now imagine the scenerio again, only this time insert IEP meetings in place of birthday party. It’s up to professional and parents to invited students into the IEP process and support them while they learn to be actively involved in their IEP meeting. Then students can blow out candles of success as they transition into adulthood instead of wondering why a cake is on fire at a party to which no one invited them. Jamie L. Van Dycke, James E. Martin, and David L. Lovett 25

Parentmentors.org Additional Resources? Find: Success stories Information about transition Statewide parent events Parent Mentor contact information Videos 26

Thank you for coming to learn about ASPIRE and how your child can be more actively involved in their IEP meeting and in planning their own future! 27