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Student Led IEPs in Action: A Special Educator's Experience

The theme for January 2025 has been all about learning how to implement student-led IEPs. To wrap up this series of episodes, I'm joined by a teacher who works within my district and who has been implementing student-led IEPs for the last 2 years. Listen in as Bristol Bale and I discuss the real-life application of this transformative practice. 

By putting the IEP in their language, it was easier for them to understand it and their parents to understand it.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Why Student-Led IEPs?
   Bristol shares her initial motivations for shifting to student-led IEPs, highlighting the lack of student awareness about their own IEPs and the need for greater self-advocacy in middle school.
2. Initial Challenges:
   Bristol discusses the early challenges she faced, including developing a new format that allowed students to take the lead in IEP meetings while ensuring the structure aligned with district standards.
3. Preparation Steps:
   Learn about the comprehensive preparation process Bristol uses to equip her students to lead their IEP meetings, which includes regular Wednesday sessions focusing on different aspects of the IEP.
4. Ensuring Inclusive Participation:
   Bristol explains her strategies for adapting the student-led IEP process to accommodate all students, regardless of their cognitive abilities, using tools like speech-to-text and visual aids.
5. Impact on Students:
   Discover the positive changes Bristol has observed in her students, including increased self-awareness, better understanding of their accommodations, and enhanced self-advocacy.
6. Success Story:
   A powerful testimony from Bristol about an eighth-grade student who used his knowledge of his IEP to advocate for necessary accommodations in his classroom.
7. Advice for Educators:
   Bristol offers practical advice for other educators interested in implementing student-led IEPs, emphasizing the importance of using student-friendly language and allowing students to take ownership of their meetings.
8. Parental Feedback:
   Insight into how parents have responded positively to the student-led approach, finding the meetings more understandable and informative.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to get started with student-led IEPs, my resource How to Implement Student-Led IEP Meetings for Any Grade Level provides detailed strategies to help students feel confident and capable in this role. 

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