Putting the "I" back in IEP

I have to start by giving a shout-out to my Special Education colleagues over at the middle school who started having "Student-led IEP's" and introduced them to district special education teachers through some voluntary professional development this past fall.  I have always felt it important to have transition-aged students involved in the IEP process as much as possible.  My students were always "a part" of their meetings and I would do my best to find ways to have them involved: leading introductions, sharing their Strengths/Interests/Preferences, but once I started down the road of Student-led IEP's, I noticed that my transition students were really in the driver's seat of not only their IEP meetings, but their entire IEP document as well.  The process in preparing for the IEP, working through creating their presentation for the meeting, and talking with them about what their future looks like in their minds really changed my mind set and the way I wrote their IEP.  Their voices rang through the legal document more than ever...and when is a better time for that, than when they are preparing to transition out of school and into the adult world?!?  But, I'm getting WAY ahead of myself...time to reign in the excitement and passion I have for this newly discovered process, so that I can do it justice, and share it with you all!

What is a Student-led IEP?
It is just what it says, it is an IEP meeting led completely by the student.  How this is done is completely dependent on your comfort level as well as the student's functioning level.  In my situation, my students and I sit down and put together a Keynote presentation.  Together we fill in a template presentation that I have created, and they help me put their personal spin on it by picking a color scheme, choosing the font here and the picture that goes there.  My students would not be able to complete this part without me working with them, helping them navigate the Keynote program...your student may be able to take the template and go.  Provide opportunities to take ownership of what this presentation looks like.  Having a template that they fill in ensures that they are including all the necessary IEP information.  From there, I have my students create a recording of the Keynote presentation.  This is one feature that I absolutely LOVE about Keynote, and why I use this rather than Powerpoint to create these presentations.  We go in a quiet room and practice reading through the presentation several times before we press record and go through it again.  Through the wonders of technology, the students voice is captured and aligned with the appropriate slide as you navigate through the presentation.  Now, on the day of the meeting, all you/the student has to do is push "play" and the presentation and information is shared.  For my students, who become shy and nervous and who already have limited verbal expression, this is the way to go.  You may be able to have your student navigate through their presentation on their own, life at their IEP meeting.  My last slide is always, "Comments/Questions/Concerns" which provides families and service providers at the meeting the opportunity to bring up any issues or pressing topics.  And that is it.  The student has shared all the valuable and important information of the IEP in language that all can understand.

What are the benefits of holding a Student-led IEP?
First and foremost, this process gives the student, the most important part of the equation the loudest voice.  So often, I think IEP's become procedural; we have a formula for how it should be completed to be compliant to state and district standards and we get so caught up in that piece that we forget the "individualized" nature of this document!  This helps put that I back in the IEP.  It also helps to build the students communication and self advocacy skills.  If a student is involved in the process of creating their IEP; evaluating their strengths and areas for growth in their goal areas, discussing their needed accommodations in their classes and community settings, and if this begins at an early age, by the time they are out in the adult world, they will be so accustomed to communicating about their needs, it will be much easier to do this in a post secondary schooling or work setting.  This will be a process they will be so comfortable and familiar with.  It is also a very powerful and eye opening experience to the families and service providers for our students, who may not always be able to see the past the struggles or needs for growth in these young people.  Seeing a student, in front of a group of adults, talking about themselves in their school day, and sharing their needs...this will have many involved very emotional and excited.

My personal experiences...
I have now hosted two Student-led IEP's both with very powerful impact and positive outcomes.  Students beam with pride as they watch other view a presentation they were instrumental in putting together.  Parents have a vision into their school day through pictures and video of students completing goal related tasks or moving through their school routines.  I had one parent tell me this was the easiest IEP meeting she had been to.  Her son is 20 years old (that makes a lot of IEPs).  She stated that in the past, the IEP is read to here and with the overwhelming amount of information and the legal language, she felt a lot of the important information was getting lost in translation.  This was broken down, to the point, and very clear.

This is a process and extra work on top of drafting the actual IEP document and all the other necessary pieces that go a long with it.  As I was working to put together my first two student led IEP's, I honestly thought, "This is way too much work and for what?  To be shared quickly and move right into picking through the IEP document."  What I didn't realize was that I was taking out the need to pick through the IEP because the student presentation was answering everyone's questions and concern.  The impact was amazing...and I'm not turning back.  Two more IEP's have been scheduled for the month of January and both will be student led!

What do you think about putting your student in the driver's seat of their IEP?  If you think this is something you would like to start in your classroom, please contact me and I can share more information with you about the process and provide some templates and guides for putting it together!

Come to the edge with me!
Mackenzie

The Zones of Regulation

Less than a month ago, I had the opportunity to attend a work shop for The Zones of Regulation, a curriculum created by Leah Kuypers to help teach students self regulation and emotional control...and it changed my life...both personally and professionally.  It is THAT good!  Since then I have been obsessed and consumed with this program, talking about it to anyone that will listen.  To be honest, I am surprised that it has taken me this long to sit down and share it with all of you, my avid transition followers!

So...what is it?
The Zones of Regulation is a social skills curriculum that uses a cognitive behavior approach to teach students to recognize when they are in different states called "zones."  Each of the four zones are represented by a different color.  Students also learn to identify tools that help them stay in an expected zone, or move to an expected zone.  Some of these tools include calming techniques, like breathing exercises, and sensory supports like physical activity.  This program is very similar to the 5 point scale, in that it asks students to recognize their own emotions, but it goes much deeper in identifying a broader spectrum of emotions as well as the learning of tools.  The key with this program is the idea that no zone is a "bad zone," but that each zone has times when it is "expected" or appropriate to be in that zone, feeling those feelings.

Why do I love it so much?
The Zones is a program that lends it self very well for social skill training with students on the autism spectrum specifically, but it is also great for students with a wide range of abilities and can be beneficial to incorporate in general education classrooms as well.  What a great way for our students to connect with peers socially in general education classrooms, by having a common social "language" and strategy.  This program is concrete, using logical colors and providing a connection to the community with signs.  The Zones also fits into your teaching structures and is not something extra to do or plan for.  It is a curriculum that is put together thoughtfully and requires very little additional work.  Most importantly, this is a program that provides students with coping and regulation strategies that they can take with them upon transitioning into the adult world.  It does not require elaborate point systems or reinforcement systems...it is about as real life as you can get.

How am I using it in my classroom?
I began introducing The Zones of Regulation to my students about 2 weeks ago.  In following the curriculum, I first started by having my students identify different emotions or feelings that can be found in each zone.  This took us about three days.  As we selected the emotions we talked about what does this emotion look like, how does our body feel when we are experiencing this emotion, what makes us feel this way, etc.  Through lesson reflection, I felt there was a lot of teacher talk time, and in future introductions, I would like to find a better, more visual way to introduce the emotions that are associated with each zone.  As we selected an emotion, we glued it to its appropriate zone on our Zones of regulation display.  After the emotions were introduced, we took about a week to let those ideas resonate.  In conversations with our students we began using the Zones language, identifying when students might be feeling a certain way, and talking through with them what Zone that emotion might be in.

From there we then began talking about times you might be in each zone.  For example, the Blue Zone is the Rest Area.  Emotions associated with this Zone are tired, sad, shy.  Each student thought of a time both during their time at school and at home when it would be expected for them to be in that Zone.  Students mentioned break times at school and just before bed at home.

That's about as far as I have gotten with incorporating it into my current classroom setting.  I have lots of hopes and ideas for more ways to embed it into my students every day lives, both our classroom and in their community settings.  I am anxious to see students come through my classroom who have had exposure to the Zones of Regulation at an earlier age, and see the differnence it makes in them using it in their every day lives.

I cannot say enough about this program...just as those I come in contact with.  People who are not even familiar with the field of education have gotten ear fulls of information about the Zones of Regulation, because I am just THAT excited about it.  I see its potential.  I see its logic.  It is like a light bulb for me, and I know it will click and help my students be successful in their adult worlds...and that is why I just LOVE it!

Are you familiar with this program?  Are you using it in your classroom?

Come to the edge with me,
Mackenzie