What is the practice?
The Self-Directed IEP (SD IEP) lesson package is divided into four instructional units, including students leading meeting, reporting interests, reporting skills, and reporting options. It is a multimedia package designed to teach students the skills needed to manage their own IEP meetings. It includes a teacher manual, a student workbook, and two videos that present 11 steps necessary for students to lead their own IEP meetings:
- Begin meeting by stating purpose
- Introduce everyone
- Review past goals and performance
- Ask for others’ feedback
- State your school & transition goals
- Ask questions
- Deal with differences of opinion
- State the support you’ll need
- Summarize your goals
- Close meeting
- Work on IEP goals all year
Instruction follows a model-lead-test format.
The SD IEP has been used to teach
- Student knowledge of steps for leading their IEP (Diegelmann & Test, 2018).
- Students to participate in planning for and participating in their IEP meetings using computer-assisted instruction (Kelley et al., 2011).
- Students self-directed IEP instruction to increase their level of self-determination and transition knowledge and skills (Seong et al., 2015).
- Students skills to improve participating in their IEP meetings (Allen et al., 2001).
- Students how to direct their own IEP meeting (Arndt et al., 2006).
- Students skills on how to improve participation in their IEP meetings through the Self-Directed IEP lesson package (Synder & Shapiro, 1997)
Where has it been implemented?
- An empty classroom at a middle school and a high school
- A private, state-approved, non-profit school for students with complex language, learning, and intellectual disabilities
- A middle and/or a high school
Where is the best place to find out how to do this practice?
References used to establish this evidence base:
- Arndt, S. A., Konrad, M., & Test, D. W. (2006). Effects of the Self-Directed IEP on student participation in planning meetings. Remedial and Special Education, 27(4), 194-207. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325060270040101
- Diegelmann, K. M., & Test, D. W. (2018). Effects of a self-monitoring checklist as a component of the self-directed IEP. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 53(1), 73–83. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26420428
- Kelley, K. R., Bartholomew, A., & Test, D. W. (2011). Effects of the Self-Directed IEP delivered using computer-assisted instruction on student participation in educational planning meetings. Remedial and Special Education, 34(2), 67-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932511415864
- Allen, S., Smith, A., Test, D. W., Flowers, C., & Wood, W. M. (2001). The effects of Self-Directed IEP on student participation in IEP meetings. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 24(2), 107-120. https://doi.org/10.1177/088572880102400202
- Martin, J. E., Van Dycke, J. L., Christensen, W. R., Greene, B. A., Gardner, J. E., & Lovett, D. L. (2006). Increasing student participation in their transition IEP meetings: Establishing the Self-Directed IEP as an evidenced-based practice. Exceptional Children, 72(3), 299-316. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290607200303
