Effects of the Self-Directed IEP on Student Participation in Planning Meetings

Although federal special education legislation and the self-determination movement have promoted and increased students' attendance at their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, students' active involvement in the IEP process remains limited. This study used the Self-Directed IEP with five students identified with a variety of disabilities to increase participation in their IEP meetings. The results indicated a functional relationship between the implementation of the Self-Directed IEP and increased student participation in IEP meetings. Furthermore, students were able to generalize their newly acquired skills to their real IEP meetings.