Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Tammy Hoffman

Abstract

The problem of this basic qualitative study was that students served in self-contained classes had limited access to the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process due to the rationed participation by parents and teachers (i.e., advocates), which may have been restraining students’ ability to prepare for adult living expectations within their community. Students with severe disabilities (SWSD) often require more guidance and training to gain independence to ensure the highest quality of life (QOL). The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of advocates in promoting self-advocacy skills during the IEP process for their SWSD served in self-contained classrooms. Guided by the conceptual framework centered in self-determination theory, this study aimed to connect basic human needs and the perceptions of advocates that may have affected implementing self-advocacy skills into the IEP meeting process. The research questions focused on developing an understanding of advocates’ perceptions of the student’s role in the IEP and the impact of students’ QOL. Ten volunteers, five teachers and five parents, selected from professional correspondence, were interviewed to gain their perceptions of implementing self-advocacy strategies throughout the IEP process to enhance QOL of SWSD. Data were analyzed using thematic coding, and the emergent themes were used to promote awareness for the utilization of training on the self-advocate strategies implemented by advocates. These themes included responsibility point-of-view, rejection of ableism, value of real-world experiences, and community acceptance for individual success. As a result of this study, SWSD may experience positive social change in the area of community acceptance, potentially redefining the expectations of social norms and improving QOL for transitioned SWSD in adulthood.

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