The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework can be applied to a variety of instructional contexts and activities, and individualized education program (IEP) meetings are one such context. The primary principle of the framework is to provide teachers with guidelines for designing and implementing instruction that can be adapted to meet the…

The purpose of this study was to use data from the United States' National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) to present descriptive information on youth and parent participation and youth's role in required Individualized Education Program (IEP)/transition planning meetings by disability category and age groupings (14-22 year olds,…

One important aspect of special education research that makes it complex is the variability of the disability categories being studied. This study used the context of Individualized Education Program (IEP)/transition planning and National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) student and parent survey items associated with this context to…

We conducted a qualitative analysis of written transcripts from nine teacher-led middle and high school IEP meetings for students with learning disabilities to determine common themes regarding student roles during these meetings and the meeting process itself. We found two overall meta-themes (e.g., instant vision and out of focus), seven themes…

Transition planning is an important element of special education. This study is a secondary data analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012) that examined parent, student, and adult service agency involvement in the transition process for secondary students with intellectual disability (ID). The NLTS 2012 is the third…

This report has been provided to the Legislature on an annual basis since the year 2000. This report is issued in the context of a change in focus for the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the federal agency which oversees the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) implementation in each state. OSEP's new accountability…

This workbook and guide offers a step-by-step procedure for establishing and implementing transition programs, for use by educators of students with intellectual handicaps in cooperation with students, parents, and related agency personnel. The guide is divided into six sections, each of which includes several workbook activities. The first…

This report has been provided to the Legislature on an annual basis since 2000 when the legislature amended the language of G.L. c. 71B to align Massachusetts special education terminology with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This year reports the context of a major change in the way state systems of special…

This guide to planning for transition from school to work for middle school or high school students with disabilities in California is intended to assist parents, teachers, and other service providers in coordinating person-centered transition planning and services. The first section examines requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities…

Although self-determination in general and student-led IEPs in particular have received attention nationally, the extent to which students are leading their IEP meetings remains uncertain, and the rhetoric does not seem to match the reality for the majority of students with disabilities and their IEP meetings. Self determined educators are needed…

Thirty-six parents of students with disabilities who had exited high school 6 to 12 months earlier, were interviewed to examine perceptions of their participation in their child's final Individualized Education Program/transition planning meeting. A majority reported they participated in a variety of ways and were satisfied with their…

This article discusses a model transition program and curriculum, ChoiceMaker, which focuses on helping secondary students with disabilities learn those self-determination skills characteristic of successful individuals. The curriculum is organized around 37 self-determination concepts grouped into 7 areas. Student participation in the…

The manual provides parent educators with guidelines for conducting a series of four 1-hour meetings to help parents of preschool handicapped children fulfill their role as their child's advocate. At the first meeting, information on tests and testing and on the Individualized Education Program process is presented. In the second meeting, parents…

This manual, accompanied by a 22-minute videotape recording, provides information for constructing an Individualized Transition Plan as a component of Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings for secondary students with disabilities. The video, based on an actual IEP meeting with a student and his parents, illustrates a meeting that focuses…

This brief informational flyer presents practical information on the transition from school to work for students who are deaf-blind or have other severe disabilities. After defining transition, the flyer offers guidelines on: the age at which transition services should be started, areas that should be considered in a coordinated transition plan,…