The effect of family-centered ITP program on attitude toward IEP and family empowerment of parents of high-school students with severe disabilities

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a family-centered Individualized Transition Planning(ITP) program on attitude toward Individual Education Plan(IEP) and family empowerment of parents of high-school students with severe disabilities. Method: Participants in the study were 18 high school students(9 in an experiment group, 9 in a control group), who enrolled in special schools and their parents. Participants in the experiment group received a transition planning program consisting of 11 training sessions for both students with severe disabilites and their parents in the transition process. Data were collected pre and post implementation to measure parents‘attitudes toward IEP and family empowerment. Results: Parents in the experiment group demonstrated significant increases in the attitude toward IEP and family empowerment compared to those of the control group. Conclusion: This study has implications for redesigning a transition planning process in that the program encouraged participation of students with severe disabilities and their parents in transition planning.