A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Single Case Research featuring Interventions Used to Increase Student Participation During IEP Meetings

While student attendance and participation in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings is encouraged in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), students are often left out of this important planning process. Research indicates that student participation in IEP meetings is linked to positive outcomes, including increased self determination; however, the skills required to participate in IEP meetings are not innate and must be explicitly taught to students with disabilities. Several interventions have been developed to teach these students the skills needed to meaningfully participate in their IEP meetings. This paper examined the effectiveness of interventions featured in single-case design research used to influence the quantity or quality of student participation during IEP meetings. A systematic literature review was conducted to determine existing literature on this topic. Analyses were conducted to synthesize results and determine the research rigor of included studies. Overall, results indicate that interventions used within the included studies positively influenced student participation during IEP meetings. Given this information, and the benefits of student participation in IEP meetings, school districts should consider implementing one of these interventions and making student attendance and participation at IEP meetings a top priority.