Putting the I in IEP By: Jennifer Piehler Zickel and Ellen Arnold Kathleen Mullay

Summary Students with learning disabilities work together with teachers to develop and implement their own IEP’s. According to Piehler Zickel and Arnold, “Many students can’t even identify their learning disabilities and don’t know why they are receiving special education services or what strategies they need to use to succeed.”

Self-Advocacy If students are going to be successful, they need to be aware of their learning disabilities and to be able to advocate for themselves and the modifications they need and deserve. Students should be able to know what strategies to use to compensate for their disabilities and to ask for help when needed.

“Karin” Karin, a secretary at a doctor’s office, had difficulty writing phone numbers accurately, and was afraid to tell her boss of her disability. Karin decided to record just her voice on the phone(not the entire conversation) while writing the numbers down. She then listened to her message to be sure that she wrote down the right numbers. Karin’s boss was impressed that she was able to advocate for herself and her disability.

Involving Students At Montclair Elementary School in Prince William County, Virginia, students with moderate learning disabilities were able to discover their own IEP’s. Teachers openly discussed modifications available to the students (i.e. the teachers told the students that the social studies to is to test the students on their knowledge of social studies. If they wished to have the test read to them, anyone may come back to have the test read). Teachers felt that students, “need self-advocacy skills to reach the first step on the ladder to independence…and what better way to do that than involving students in developing their own IEP’s.”

Self Advocacy Circle Reflection CheckingGoal Setting Speaking Up

Reflecting Students listed their strengths and weaknesses and reflected on which weaknesses prevented them from doing their best; they reflected upon how they could overcome their weaknesses.

Goal Setting Students then decided how their strengths can build on their weaknesses. Afterwards, the students set goals for which skills they would like to improve upon.

Speaking Up The students set their goals and decided how they would present their strengths and weaknesses to their teachers. When the students presented their strengths and weaknesses, they were asked to explain why they needed accommodations and modifications to achieve their goals.

Checking The students were then asked to share their ideas with their teachers and then monitor the teachers’ actions to make sure that what they negotiated would be implemented or put into place correctly.

Writing Their Own Plans As students became more at ease with their self-advocacy circles, they were introduced to IEP’s. Students set goals, discussed their disabilities, and were able to ask for appropriate modifications and adaptations.

References Apponi, T. (1984). Self-Advocacy: How to be a Winner. Washington DC: National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth. Arnold, E. (1996), Potentize: Taking Action to Unlock Potential. Rochester, NY:Arncraft. McGahee-Kovac, M.(1995). A student’s guide to the IEP. Washington DC: National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities.