Addressing the Needs of Youth with Disabilities

This curriculum-based Web site is designed for use by all youth. However, we have provided specific information for youth with disabilities when and where appropriate.

The Youthhood can help to develop and enhance a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The Life Map has been organized to facilitate the transfer of student goals from the Life Map to the IEP. We think of the Life Map as the student copy of the IEP – a set of goals they want to achieve for the future written in their own words with their own ideas.

IEP team coordinators or special education case managers can utilize the Life Map as a tool to facilitate and drive the IEP meeting. Any goal can be edited to ensure that it meets the standards laid out by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Monitoring and Compliance.

However, when youth have their own tool written in their own words, it is much more meaningful to them than one that is developed for them using technical language and government standards.

We recommend helping youth with disabilities develop a Life Map: 1) to help them to articulate their goals for the future; and 2) to help them become actively involved in their IEP meeting and IEP development.

See also:

• The Youthhood site has pages and activities specifically about the IEP for youth to read. See My Individualized Education Program in The High School area.
• The Web site of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) — headquarters of The Youthhood — has a portal page with information, research, emerging practices, and resources on the IEP: IEP and Transition Planning Web Topic.
• NCSET also has a Web page listing Resources Related to IDEA.