Abstract
There is a lack of research demonstrating student led Individualized Educational Planning (IEP) skills being taught at the elementary level. IEP meetings are regularly directed and led by an administrator or special education teacher rarely giving students the opportunity for meaningful participation. This may be caused by the minimal population of elementary students with disabilities being aware of their IEP and the IEP process. This pre-post design study examined the outcomes of implementing a student-led IEP curriculum unit to one group of fifth and sixth graders, ages ten to twelve years old, who qualify for special education services for various disabilities, including emotional disturbance, other health impairment, and autism. Three students learned about the student led IEP through seven lessons which included the use of hands-on activities, group discussion, role playing, and mock interviews. Student participants completed the Ryan and Deci’s Determination Scale and AIR Self-Determination Scale pre- and post-intervention to help identify outcomes of receiving the intervention. Additional data sources included researcher reflection and observation notes, supplemental questions, content analysis of student samples, and a post-test. The findings indicated there were outcomes in growth in students’ perceived self-determination skills, specifically assertiveness, self-awareness, and goal setting. Both the scores from the Ryan and Deci and AIR measures revealed an increase in perceived self-determination skills based on student surveys. In discussions during the student led IEP curriculum unit lessons, all students were able to voice their goals and recognize the importance of meaningfully participating in their own IEP process. Recommendations for practice include implementation of the curriculum unit with more time per lesson including a larger number of student participants. Further research should be conducted to reveal more long-term outcomes of an elementary-level student led IEP curriculum for students with disabilities.