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A few questions for those special education teachers who are a part of the IEP-writing process for students who have transition plans as part of the IEP...
1. Ideally, the student him/herself is involved in the IEP development, and attends the IEP review him/herself; this is standard best practices stuff and gives the student ownership. That said, how many of you have students who do regularly attend their own IEP meetings and provide input?
2. Of those who do have students who are an active part of the process, what does it look like? What about in the case of severely developmentally disabled students? What have you found is the best and most meaningful way of including students who are of a significantly lower functioning level than the other meeting participants?
What I have done, is invite the student for the beginning of the meeting, discuss accomplishments, how the student feels about school, goals for next year, any problems with goals from last year. I don't make these meetings about behavior issues, if behavior is an issue, that merits it's own meeting, a smaller, more directed meeting. I try to make IEP'S with students real, but positive.
A pre meeting with the student is a good plan, to discuss the meeting, go over goals.
If the student is over age 18,or prior to this, discuss conseratorsbip. This becomes tricky, especially with students who have behavior issues, and cognitive problems, but not severe.
After we had a positive experience, I arrange for an aide to take the student back to class, for the rest of the paperwork, especially if there are some issues of contention, depending on the parent.
A college bound student should stay for the entire meeting. I make this a goal, as part of self advocacy.
All my students' IEPs are largely behavioral, as it's a behavioral school, and all IEPs dress behavioral goals and objectives.
Also, the majority of my students have significant cognitive impairment, in addition to exhibiting extreme behavior.
None of my students are college-bound, and we always discuss conservatorship and related issues once the age of the student makes it appropriate to do so. My main issues are properly preparing for vocational pursuits that would allow my students to contribute to society to the best of their abilities, but even sheltered workshop/dayhab settings can be unrealistic given the nature of my students' disabilties and level of independence.
Basically, I'm searching for a meaningful way for them to be involved in their own IEP process that's not just giving it lip service. I've been to multiple state trainings and conferences lately that focused on this topic, but it was all geared toward MUCH higher functioning students, and for many of my students, the approach they take would not be useful, meaningful or appropriate. I just end up feeling like I've wasted my time at a training that's yet again been geared toward students who are light years away from the level of need/level of independence with which I routinely work...i.e., nobody is doing much for students such as the ones I serve. What to do...food for thought.
They still deserve and are legally entitled to the same things as higher functioning special education students.
A few questions for those special education teachers who are a part of the IEP-writing process for students who have transition plans as part of the IEP...
1. Ideally, the student him/herself is involved in the IEP development, and attends the IEP review him/herself; this is standard best practices stuff and gives the student ownership. That said, how many of you have students who do regularly attend their own IEP meetings and provide input?
2. Of those who do have students who are an active part of the process, what does it look like? What about in the case of severely developmentally disabled students? What have you found is the best and most meaningful way of including students who are of a significantly lower functioning level than the other meeting participants?
I work with the mild/moderate population. It makes sense for the kids to attend, of course. But I'd say over my 10 years at four different schools, less than 50% have attended the meetings. In some cases, it just wasn't standard practice at the school. In others, the student did not want to attend.
With regards to the Transition plan, the students always participate in the development of that. I'll normally conduct an informal interview with them to gauge their interests, hobbies, favorite subject etc. But that's prior to the meeting. This has always been for a middle school-aged population.
But what would you do to include, say, a very intellectually low-functioning, nonverbal, physically aggressive student who would have a very difficult time even tolerating the environment of an IEP meeting? How to meaningfully include that student in the process of preparing for his or her own future?
I would say, you are doing a good job. And remember, the people doing the trainings, are usually not people who have been in a classroom for a long time.
A meaningful way of including a severe multiply impaired student who is agressive? Probably not going to happen. I am sorry, I worked with many students like that...and from my perspective, the most important thing, is to work with the parents.
One thing I did do, was take students on field trips, to different day programs, and we actually spent a whole day there. doing work activities, eating lunch, just like we were there...and asked if this was a fun place, or a boring place. The ones that can choose, usually let me know. And, I included that information in the IEP. I often took pictures of the student, doing the activities there, to show the team. This was a four year process, so, I planned two different places a year, so, by the end of transition, at age 22, the student had been to eight different places...or if there were limited options, at least three options, a couple of times.
I do all that (we actually go to at least five different job/volunteer sites per IEP year), it just seems like it's not really enough.
My students, or the majority of them, require so much 1:1 assistance that they are not eligible for most sheltered workshops, which are very limited in our state, anyway, and don't allow job coaches, for the most part, except sometimes for the first week or so in a limited way. That pretty much leaves dayhab, which also isn't very available. Depressing.
But what would you do to include, say, a very intellectually low-functioning, nonverbal, physically aggressive student who would have a very difficult time even tolerating the environment of an IEP meeting? How to meaningfully include that student in the process of preparing for his or her own future?
That's more difficult obviously. I don't have the experience or training to give a very good answer. The only thing I can say is try to give the student a forum to openly and honestly express what it is they are interested in and then offer career/job suggestions based off of what they say.
We already do that, but in the end, the reality is that the vast majority of job settings will not suit their needs, and are not interested in working with individuals of that nature of disability.
Our team has all the EC kids. We have had a lot of extra training. As a result I go to all kinds of IEP meetings. The EC person always meets with the child prior to big meeting,
. The children almost always attend the formal meeting. They are encouraged to speak at various points in the meeting, commensurate with their inclination to do so.
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