This one tells how to run mock meetings and real meetings, giving them a predictable structure and prompting the student's participation is prompted (the other links I found above were for the student himself LEADING the meeting).
http://www.uncc.edu/sdsp/resource_list/allen.pdf
The curriculum is not included, but it's called Choicemaker (ca. 0) and seems to be a popular choice. It's been mentioned in other websites.
Here's a helpful fact sheet apparently endorsed by the Council for Exceptional Children.
http://www.dcdt.org/pdf/DCDT_Fact_Sheet_IEP_Process.pdf
Okay, now I'm getting somewhere. Here are some award-winning publications by the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities.
http://www.nichcy.org/stuguid.asp
The first set is the most relevant -- it includes a booklet called "A Student's Guide to the IEP" which explains what an IEP is and how the student can contribute, written for the middle school/secondary level plus "Technical Assistance Guide: Helping Students Develop Their IEPs" for parents and professionals. The second set is about jobs and the third set is more general about contributing to one's own success in life.
Each set includes an audio CD. You can see the script on this link, but to get a CD and printed booklets you can order them here. They only cost :
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/order.htm
Still looking for the holy grail, a free full curriculum with worksheets.
http://www.vcu.edu/rrtcweb/techlink/GEB/hughes/handouts/431b .pdf - self-assessment checklist for after the meeting.
http://www.vcu.edu/rrtcweb/techlink/GEB/hughes/handouts/442b .pdf - choice making self-check worksheet, which might help plan how to meet various goals.
http://web.uccs.edu/education/special/self_determination/cme m_elementary.html - how to help elementary school students participate in school conferences.
http://www.glenncoe.org/__programs/__special_education/docum ents/SelfDirected_IEP.pdf - how to lead your own IEP meeting, step by step. Includes checklist at the end for assessing how well you did at the meeting.
More to come, I'm sure.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. You are great!
Thought it would be better to just add anything more I find here. Instead of adding a new post each time, I will be editing this one.
http://classroom.leanderisd.org/webs/sped/student_centered_a rd_process.htm- various resources from Leander ISD. Includes agenda forms and powerpoint templates for students to use when leading their own meetings. Participating in the meeting isn't "all or nothing" -- there's a continuum of involvement, and different ways the student can prepare and share (for example make a poster of likes and dislikes). You can find lots of ideas and tips under "Continuum of Student Involvement."
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/html/transition_video.ht m - various resources from the Illinois State Board of Education. I especially loved the "Understanding Learning Styles" checklist (to be filled out by teacher, classmate and self) and "It's My Life" student workbook.
http://www.ode.state.or.us/gradelevel/hs/transition/selfdete rmination.pdf - A booklet from the Oregon Department of Education. Lots of teacher-made worksheets for students and parents to fill out to plan for transition to adult life (starting on page 25), but extra relevant for this topic is a comparison of 8 resources for teaching self-determination (planning and attaining their own IEP goals). They tell you cost, time to complete the curriculum, etc.
http://www.ctserc.org/transition/A%20Special%20Educational%2 0Journey%20from%20Self%20Discovery%20to%20Advocacy.pdf " An Educational Journey from Self Discovery to Advocacy: A Handbook for Students" from Connecticut State Department of Education. Excellent curriculum, with Section 4 devoted to participating in IEP meetings. The learning style inventory on page 7 is AWESOME, as is the checklist of potential accommodations on page 35-36. These would be of great help in preparing for the meeting, since as we know kids with autism aren't always good at answering open-ended questions and coming up with options -- much easier to weigh a list of alternatives.
Well, that's all for tonight.
Norway Mom , You should getting paid for this. the research you do for this board is outstanding. You really should think about putting it into a book. The Autism Resource Book, By Norway Mom. You really help a lot of people. Again, Thank You so much.Second Loki on that, Norway mom you are awesome.
Concernedpa.
Thanks for the compliments. I found a site with "one-stop free shopping" for booklets, checklists and templates related to student-led IEPs. A very good place to start when looking into student-led IEPs. Just click on "training" on the menu to get to the long list.
http://www.studentledieps.org/
Here's a website called "Self-Determination Toolkit" with excellent free lesson material. The "Speak Up Guide" includes 7 chapters: Knowing Yourself, Communication/Assertiveness, Problem-Solving, Rules/Rights/Responsibilities, Self-Advocacy/Self-Determination, Starting a self-advocacy group, and Being a Part of the community.
http://www.alaskachd.org/toolkit/content/Speak_Up_CD/index.h tml
There appears to be some overlap in material between the "Speak Up Guide" and the section labelled "Lesson Plans", but the latter is worth looking at because it includes lessons on "What is special ed?" and "Life after school". Here's the direct link:
http://www.alaskachd.org/toolkit/content/Lessons/index.html
I still haven't found much for the elementary school level, which is where you build the foundations of the self-determination skills you need for participating actively in the IEP process.
I am all in favor of students attending thier IEP conferences and helping in the develpment of their goals. This is a excellent way to develp self advocacy and self determination. However, in order for students to participate appropriately. THEY MUST be taught first. An excellent curriculum for this purpose is called the Self-directed IEP ...this curriculum teaches students to speak up about their goals , interests, plans for the future, and areas that need attention. Basically, Its pretty had to meet your goal (s) if you don't even know you even have any.
Thank You everyone. After reading all responses I guess I need to think about this some more. Me, DH and son are going to have to start thinking, and talking about his future. I will check out curriculum for Self-directed IEP. ( I have never heard of this before) I can defiantly see my son advocating for himself in the future. I am not ready for this yet. He is growing up so fast. Thanks againAdam does not attend the meeting, but we met separatley prior to the meeting with his special ed teacher to get his input for what he thinks he needs for school this year. It is a good thing that we teach our kids to self advocate, but sitting through the whole meeting may be hard when you are talking about present level of performance, and such.
Adam had some really good insight into how to help him this year.
School Districts are encouraged to begin speaking with parents and students about Transition to Adulthood at age 12. The IEP Team MUST have a Transition Plan in place by the beginning of the school year in which a student turns 16 (15 in NY) and that plan MUST include the student's input. Of course, that input can be obtained outside the IEP Meeting, but schools are required to INVITE the student. As the parent, you have the final say until your child turns 18 (or later if you have legal guardianship when he reaches majority). Of course, we need to get some idea of what our kids want to do when they leave school. Whether that includes bringing them to the meeting, itself, is a personal decision. I have not yet brought my 16yo, but I think I might this year. We've certainly been discussing jobs, etc. with him for a long time. And he's had some vocational assessments and will have more this year.
I think in my state my ds has to start coming to meetings (and signing some of the paperwork) at 14. You may want to check and see if there is a legal requirement, and what it is.My son is in 4th grade. Starting in 3rd grade, he started attending parent-teacher conferences with me, just like the rest of his mainstream classmates do with their parents. He tends to be a little tired and fidgety after school, but he manages to get through the meetings. I think it's healthy for him to know he's an important part of the team. In fact, I included a page about that in the social story I made teaching him about his diagnosis (I've included that section below in case anyone's wondering).
However, when he is present, I don't get hard-core feedback like I need, so I'm glad that he doesn't take part in IEP meetings yet. No one at the school has suggested it yet, and I don't know the general rule. When it does happen, I imagine it will be for just a part of the meeting, or for a shorter separate meeting, at least at first.
Good luck with everything.
Social story excerpt:
"Mamma, Pappa, and your teachers know about autism. We work as a team to help you feel good, learn, and do all the things that kids like to do."
"Now that you’re old enough to read and ride a bike, you’re also old enough to start learning what it means to have autism. That way you can be on our team and help us figure out what you need to feel good, learn, and do all the things that kids like to do."
I'm a big boy.
I can learn about autism.
I can talk to the grown-ups about
what I need to learn and feel good.
It was suggested today at my sons IEP meeting that he might want to join us, or have input at the IEP meetings. At this time I am not in agreement with this. Just wondering if anybody has their child attend the IEP meetings. My son will be 13 in February. IF yes, at what age did they start attending? I was really surprised at this question. In MA kids can start attending the meetings at 14 with the parents consent.
Daniel was asked by his Principal on how they could help out. He said I don't know. I asked him this year what school would be like if he could lay it out himself.
Reading 6 books and then a prize,math hands on method,science labs only, no writing anything at all. Recess/pe/music/art were musts also.
I think if I could find computer software that has learning all on cd's in a game way that would be Daniel's ideal thing and I could work on others stuff at home.