1. Why is this Cake Still on Fire?
Tracy Sinclair & Mindy Lingo
The University of Oklahoma

3. Imagine your are a small child.
Time to be a kid again!
Imagine your are a small child.

4. Maybe they just forgot to invite me
Birthday Party!!!
You keep hearing your parents plan your upcoming birthday party.
You are so excited and know its getting closer because the planning gets more and more detailed.
THE PARTY COMES AND GOES and you were NEVER invited.
Maybe they just forgot to invite me

5. Maybe it just is not that important after all
The Next Year…
You again hear all about your upcoming birthday party.
There is a new theme this year and you are so excited.
You hear about all the different jobs their the important people in their life will do at the party….
This year is going to BE BIGGER AND BETTER.
YET AGAIN, YOU’RE NOT INVITED
Maybe it just is not that important after all

6. You decide birthday parties just are not
The Following Year…
ANOTHER YEAR
MORE PLANNING
NO INVITE
You decide birthday parties just are not
that important

7. Several Years Later
You’re a teenager and your birthday is coming up…BIG DEAL.
BUT now you get an invite to your party.
You’re surprised, confused, and scared to go to YOUR OWN PARTY.
You talk with your parents and ask, “WHY NOW?”
You’re old enough to help with everything a birthday party involves: choosing a theme, invitations, and the various jobs people will have to help make it a wonderful party.

8. BUT… Why am I just now being invited, if it is such a big deal?
I was always capable of helping choose a theme, with invitations, and the deciding the various jobs people will have to help make it a wonderful party.

9. Now Imagine
This the scenario again but it is an IEP meeting.

10. It’s All About Me! The Self-Directed IEP

11. Goals for Today Importance of student involvement in the IEP meeting
Impact increased student involvement can have
Strategies to increase student involvement
Self-Directed IEP program and process

13. What Does the Law Say? PL 94-142 - “...when appropriate”
IDEA - “required” starting at minimum age of 16 (most states)

14. Attendance vs. Participation
Passive
Seat at the table
No input provided, or superficial answers given
Talking “about” students
Participation
Active
Member of the team
Input is sought
Talking “with” students

15. Who Talks at Teacher Led IEP Meetings
Martin, Van Dycke, Greene, et al., (2006)

16. Comparison of Teacher Led & Student Led IEPs
Martin et al., (2006)

17. Importance of Active Student Involvement
Research shows by promoting self-determination in adolescents with disabilities, the more likely their productive adult outcomes (i.e., employment, independent living, quality of life, and life satisfaction) will increase (Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997).
Many students with disabilities cannot learn the skills and behaviors associated with self-determination on their own, they still have a desire to master the skills and this is only possible through guidance of teachers (Campbell-Whatley, 2008).

18. Importance of Active Student Involvement
Schools with the most promising transition practices improved students’ self-determination by including the of use:
(a) curriculum designed specifically for self-determination,
(b) teaching and coaching methods to enhance student participation in the IEP process, and
(c) non-instructional practices to enhance students’ choices and decision making skills
(Karvonen, Test, Wood, Browder, & Algozzine, 2004).

19. Impact of Active Student Involvement
While students lead their IEP meetings, they demonstrate self- determination skills like goal setting, planning, self-evaluation, mediation, public speaking, self-advocacy, and mediation skills (Martin et al., 2006).
Students are more likely to take ownership of the educational planning when they are actively involved in the process (Fiedler & Danneker, 2007).

20. Impact of Active Student Involvement
Students are gaining important life skills and demonstrating self-determination when they lead their IEP meetings through goal setting, planning, self-evaluation, mediation, public speaking, self-advocacy, and mediation skills (Martin et al., 2006).
Student-led IEP meetings provide opportunities for students to learn and participate in important social skills (Torgeson, Miner, & Shen, 2004).

21. How to Get Students Involved
Start Small
Deliver Invites
PowerPoints
One Pagers
Videos
Posters
Use curriculum designed to teach skills

22. How to Facilitate & Teach Involvement in IEP Meetings
Training other Teachers:
School wide training on SD-IEP
Lunch & Learns
PLC Time
Professional Development
Teaching Students:
Resource/Lab Setting
Mini-lessons
SD-IEP Bootcamp
Leadership Retreat for all
students with disabilities

23. ChoiceMaker Self-Determination Transition Curriculum
Self-Directed IEP
The Self-Directed IEP is one of six instructional packages available in the
ChoiceMaker Self-Determination Transition Curriculum

24. Self-Directed IEP Instructional Tools
1. Self-Directed IEP in Action video (7 minutes). A captioned video used to introduce the self-directed IEP to students, parents, teachers, and administrators by demonstrating use of lessons and students opinions.
2. Self-Directed IEP video (17 minutes). This video, available in both a captioned or uncaptioned version, demonstrates a self-directed IEP.
3. Teacher’s Manual. Provides detailed instruction on implementing Self-Directed IEP.
4. Student Workbook. This consumable workbook provides students an opportunity to apply each step of the Self-Directed IEP to their own meeting. Students complete a script which summarizes all the steps to take with them to their own IEP meetings.

25. Self-Directed IEP Instructional Tools

26. Lessons Structure for Self-Directed IEP
Cumulative Review
Lesson Preview
Vocabulary Instruction
Video / Example
Sample Situations
Workbook / Written Notes
Evaluation
Relate to Personal Experience

27. 11 Steps of the Self-Directed IEP
State Purpose of Meeting
Introduce Team
Review Past Goals
Ask for Feedback
State School & Transition Goals
Ask Questions If Don’t Understand
Deal with Differences in Opinion
State Support Needs
Summarize Goals
Close Meeting
Work on Goals All Year

28. Adapting the Self-Directed IEP Script
After students learn the 11 steps of the SD-IEP, the “script” that the student creates can take many forms.
Teachers can provide a general outline as a reminder of what the student should talk about
Students can work with the teacher to develop a script
Students may want to use IEP as a guide and fully write out a script
Scripts can be scaled up or down depending on the student’s:
Needs Wants
Ability Level Comfort level
Most importantly...flexibility and developing a script with the student is critical to ownership of the meeting!

29. Various Levels of Self-Directed IEP Scripts

30. Ideas for What to do After Self-Directed IEP
Allow students to give their accommodations to all interested parties
Students keep an accommodations sheets in folder
Have students involved in documentation of goal progress
Encourage students to keep IEP an evolving document throughout the school year and give case-manager updates on what is working and what does not.

31. Student & Teacher Feedback on Student Involvement in IEP

32. Other Curriculum to Support Self-Directed IEP
Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment Website
ME! Lessons for Self-Awareness & Self-Advocacy
ME! Bell Ringers
Student-Directed Transition Planning
IEP Team Training Modules
Whose Future is it Anyway?

34. References
Campbell-Whatley, G. D. (2008). Teaching students about their disability: Increasing self-determination skills and self-concept. International Journal of Special Education, 23(2),
Fiedler, C. R., & Danneker, J. E. (2007). Self-advocacy instruction: Bridging the research-to-practice gap. Focus on Exceptional Children, 39(8), 1-20.
Karvonen, M., Test, D. W., Wood, W. M., Browder, D., & Algozzine, B. (2004). Putting self-determination into practice. Exceptional Children, 71, 23–41.
Martin, J. E., Van Dycke, J. L., Christensen W. R., Greene B. A., Gardner J. E., & Lovett D. L. (2006). Increasing student participation in IEP meetings: Establishing the Self-Directed IEP as an evidenced-based practice. Exceptional Children, 72(3),
Martin, J. E., Van Dycke, J. L., Greene, B. A., Gardner, J., Christensen, W., Woods, L.L., & Lovett, D. L. (2006). Direct Observation of Teacher-Directed IEP Meetings: Establishing the Need for Student IEP Meeting Instruction. Exceptional Children, 72,
Torgerson, C. W., Miner, C. A., & Shen, H. (2004). Developing student competence in self-directed IEPs. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 38,42-47.
Wehmeyer, M., & Swartz, M. (1997). Self-determination and positive adult outcomes: A follow-up study of youth with mental retardation. Exceptional Children, 63,