Student-Directed IEP Meetings

When a student is involved in their own IEP meeting, the student will attain important transitional skills, including self advocacy and independency. It is always the goal of the committee to empower the student by allowing them to have a voice in their education. A student should be able to work with school staff to be able to explain their strengths and goals that they believe they need to improve on.

The Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) says that students should be included in their own IEP meetings "whenever appropriate", and a student must be invited when the IPE meeting starts focusing on transition planning. In New York, transition planning starts when the student turns 15 in the year that the IEP will be implemented.

From website: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.321

Statute/Regs Main » Regulations » Part B » Subpart D » Section 300.321 » b » 1

(1) In accordance with paragraph (a)(7) of this section, the public agency must invite a child with a disability to attend the child’s IEP Team meeting if a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals for the child and the transition services needed to assist the child in reaching those goals under §300.320(b).

Courtesy of https://movingstudentsforward.org/student-led-iep-powerpoint-template/