Lead Your Meeting You Can Do It!
WarmLine Family Resource Center Parent Training & Information Center supporting families of children with disabilities birth to 26 years old in 26 counties. 2
Lead My Meeting What?? I.E.P. stands for INDIVIDUAL Education Program. Your IEP is intended to help you succeed in school. Your IEP team needs to know who YOU are..what you re good at..what you re interested in..what s hard for you..what helps you handle stress..what helps you do your best. 3
Why Lead My Meeting? Being involved in developing your IEP makes your IEP a better fit for you. You can make sure you are working towards goals that are important to you and make sure you get the help you need to do well in school. Speaking up about what you want helps you get what you need in school, and in life. Be an advocate for yourself! 4
Can Anyone Lead Their Meeting? Yes! It doesn t matter how old you are or how much support you need. Students of all ages and all abilities can lead their own meetings! 5
6
7
So How Do I Lead My Meeting? Students often use PowerPoint presentations to lead their IEP meeting. The benefits of using a PowerPoint presentation: The student determines the agenda. The PowerPoint can be completely individualized. You don t need to follow a predetermined order or content.* The student controls the pace of the meeting and can make sure his/her issues and concerns are addressed before moving on to the next slide. *The administrator or teacher will have info that they need to cover in an IEP meeting, but that can be done after the student s PowerPoint. 8
Welcome to My IEP Meeting Joe Smith Updated: 10/15
Invited Guests Robert Smith, Dad Connie Smith, Mom Ms. Beamer Ms. Rust Ms. Murden Mr. Stanley
I m here because I want to learn more about my IEP. I want to learn more about myself. I need help reaching some of my goals.
My disability is called ADHD This means I have difficulty ignoring noises and people around me. It s hard for me to get started and stay focused on the class.
These are my strengths! I m friendly. I love basketball and football. I m good at biology and math. I love to hang out with friends and go places. I have a terrific family.
These are my limitations I can t sit still for very long. Sometimes I blurt things out and distract others. Sometimes I try to do too much at once.
My plans for the future I want to graduate from high school with good grades. I want to join the military, and I want to be a doctor.
My education goals I want to take Chemistry and Advanced Biology, and Health Occ I and II. I want to learn how to keep myself focused and not disturb people around me. I want to get involved in student government.
This is how you can help me Allow me to take 2 or 3 short breaks to move around so I can focus. Give me a signal when I am off task. Don t let me make excuses when I get lazy. Pair me with a strong lab partner so I can share a copy of his/her notes.
My Learning Style I learn best in a quiet, structured classroom. I am a visual learner and like hands on activities. I may need reminders to get me back on track. I feel great when I get positive comments from my teachers.
I m glad you came!
How Do I Get Started Leading My Meeting? Prepare it may help to start with onepage info sheet about YOU. We ll show you 2 students info sheets 20
Another example C s biggest concern was to develop strategies so he could be less dependent on his aide. 22
All About Me 1. Math is my best subject. I like math and science. I want to go to CalTech or MIT. I need to get good grades. 2. I have an aide at school. The aide I have now is helpful and nice. My aide reminds me to write down my homework, turn in my homework, and talks me down when I m stressed. He also helps me when other students try to pick fights with me. 3. When I get stressed I don t sleep well. That makes it harder to handle problems. I get stressed when teachers get mad at me and when kids pick on me. Teachers get mad sometimes when I don t understand homework and don t do it all. 4. When kids pick on me I don t know what to do. When I tell teachers they don t help me. 5. I like my aide but I want to figure out how I can handle school without an aide. I won t have an aide when I m in college.
Let s Get Started. 24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Next You can expand your info sheet and make a powerpoint about you. What slides would you put in your powerpoint? Strengths? Accomplishments? Goals? What helps you succeed? What do you want people to know about you? Is there something that people misunderstand about you? 31
Lead Your Meeting Wrap Up Help your team understand you. Let your team know what you re good at Let your team know what you need help with Let your team know WHO YOU ARE! 32
The contents of this training were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H328M150011. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. 33