The Power of Student Voice in the IEP Process
A Five Part Series on Including Students in Their Education.
In this 5 part series, Michelle and Dana Marie dig into the power of student voice in their IEP and education in general. In this episode we discuss what is student voice, why we care and give an overview of what we will discuss in the upcoming 4 episodes! Be sure to subscribe / follow us wherever you are listening and if you find this helpful, please share with friends, family members, fellow caregivers and/or educators!
🥳 Reach out to schedule a consult and see how we can help you through the Special Education process. https://empowered2advocatescheduling.as.me/schedule.php
The Power of Student Voice in the IEP Process! Part 1 of 5
In this first part of the 5 part series, we give an introduction into why we are so passionate about this powerful inclusion of students of all ages into their IEP process.
Video of Empowered 2 Advocate Podcast episode 3: The Power of Student Voice in the IEP Process part 1 of 5.
The Power of Student Voice in the IEP Process: Part 2 of 5: Students Ages 14-22
In this second part of our 5 part series about the power of student voice in the IEP process Dana Marie and Michelle focus on students aged 14-22. While teams are legally obligated to include students in their meetings and IEP process, specifically their vision and Transition Planning Form, at age 14, and having legal signing rights at age 18, there are so many other reasons that this inclusion of students in their educational planning has a positive impact for the student.
In this episode we discuss how this inclusion of students in their meetings and IEP planning helps to shift the focus of the meeting to being strength based, keeps teams student centered and allows students to feel empowered and connected to their education. We also discuss ways to support students with becoming more involved and active participants in their education.
Have questions or suggestions for including students 14-22 in their IEP meetings? Email us at empowered2advocate@gmail.com
Video of episode 4 of the Empowered 2 Advocate Podcast. The Power of Student Voice: part 2 of 5 - Students ages 14-22.
The Power of Student Voice in the IEP Process: The Middle School Years (part 3 of 5)
In part 3 of this 5 part series on student voice and including students in their IEP process we dig into the middle school years, grades 5-8, ages 10-13ish. In this episode we discuss:
How to have conversations with your child / students about their disabilities and disabilities and learning differences in general
How to discuss with them what their IEP is, why they have it and getting their input on what is useful for them for learning and what isn't useful.
Getting student involved as early as possible about how they learn and how different students learn differently
How the conversation about learning and students' learning styles tends to drop off in the middle school years and why it's important to disrupt that trend
Strategies for opening up the conversation with the students, validating their visions for their future selves, and collaboration between home and school
Discussions and inputs about what accommodations are useful or not useful with students, including ones for state standardized tests
Video of Episode 5 of the Empowered 2 Advocate Podcast: Part 3 of 5 in a series on student voice with a focus in this episode on the middle school years.
The Power of Student Voice in the IEP Process: Pre-K to 4th Grade (part 4 of 5)
In part 4 of this 5 part series on student voice and including students in their IEP process, we dig into the preschool and elementary school years (3-10 year olds).
In this episode we:
Discuss strategies for gathering information about students' interests, accomplishments and strengths
Suggestions educators and caregivers for bringing the child's voice to the meeting even if they will not be at the meeting
The importance of cultivating a growth mindset and confidence in abilities as young as possible
Video of episode 6 of the Empowered 2 Advocate Podcast: Part 4 of 5 in a series on student voice with a focus in this episode on pre-k to 4th grade.
The Power of Student Voice in the IEP Process: Students with Unique Communication and Emotional Needs (part 5 of 5)
In part 5 of this 5 part series on student voice and including students in their IEP process, we discuss how to support students of all ages (3-22) with unique communication, emotional, and behavioral needs.
In this episode we:
Discuss strategies for gathering information about students' interests, accomplishments and strengths in various ways when a student utilizes a communication tool such as an iPad or communication board
Suggestions educators and caregivers for bringing the student's voice to the meeting even if they will not be at the meeting
The importance of including ALL students in their IEP process even if it is a challenge for them to attend their meeting and/or gather the information and capture their voice
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Video for episode 7 of the Empowered 2 Advocate podcast: Part 5 of a 5 part series on the the power of student voice in the IEP process: student with unique communication and emotional needs.
Did you enjoy this series? What questions do you have? Do you have ideas to add to these episode conversations?
We would love to hear from you!
Have questions or suggestions for including students in their IEP meetings and their IEP process? Email us empowered2advocate@gmail.com
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We invite you to schedule your 20 minute complimentary consult with us to discuss ways Empowered 2 Advocate can support you and your child navigate the special education process.
Schedule HERE
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