Promoting Self-Determination and Transition Planning Using Technology: Student and Parent Perspectives

Despite the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act's (IDEA) mandates for student involvement in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, several researchers have demonstrated limited student participation. One method for encouraging self-advocacy and active IEP participation is to teach students to communicate their hopes, dreams, and goals through technology. The purpose of the study was to measure student and parent satisfaction with Project Multimedia for Youth to Voice Outcomes Individually Created for Empowerment (MY VOICE), a 3-year project aimed at supporting students with developmental disabilities through the use of multimedia to have a voice in their transition planning and IEP meetings. Results indicated students were satisfied with the project and their parents were significantly more satisfied with the outcomes of the IEP process when the project was in place for four of six measured variables.