• Dreams and Goals
• Planning
• Tracking
• Exiting High School
• Toolkit
• Connections Reporting

IEP Team

Your IEP team is the people who help you achieve your dreams and goals. Each person brings information and ideas that can help you succeed. People must be included on your team to comply with IDEA. You are the center of this team. You need to state your preferences, interests, plans and goals. Who must be included on your team?

• You
• Your parents or guardians
• Special education teacher
• Your regular education teacher(s)
• Local Education Agency (LEA) representative (usually principal or vice-principal)
• With your or your parents consent, agencies who might provide or pay for any services

You may also wish to include:

• A friend or peer
• School support staff (interpreter, instructional aide, job coach)
• Related service providers – if you receive these services (speech therapy, physical or occupational therapy, counseling)

Each person has a role on the IEP team. You or your parent(s) will need to sign a Consent to Invite form for other agencies to attend. You and your team develop a plan to assist you during and after high school. Each member prepares and gathers information that will be needed for your IEP meeting. You can get a copy of last year’s IEP from your teacher or parents. Look it over. Make sure you understand the sections and information in your IEP. Ask your parents or teacher(s) to explain anything you don’t understand.

You bring important information to your IEP meeting, such as information about the classes you have completed, which classes are needed for graduation, testing information, certificates or successes you have achieved, and anything else you would like to keep track of. Make sure you keep this in your portfolio or another safe place.

For more information, check out the following web sites.

• Laws don't make it happen. People do: This 15-page booklet includes information about the various roles in transition. Descriptions of several specific roles are provided, as well as suggestions for how different members of transition teams may participate in the transition process.
• Youthood.org: "Childhood meets adulthood at Youthhood.org." This is a very interactive site for youth to use to start thinking about what they want to do with the rest of their lives, designed to help youth plan for the future. (Psst! Good for adults, too.)