Having students actively participate in their IEP meetings helps ensure IEP meetings are student-focused, which may prevent conflict and increase parent satisfaction. In practice, students are often not invited to their IEP meetings until they are transition age. In this presentation to the Council for Exceptional Children, Lane discussed parent perceptions of early student involvement for their deafblind children.
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Participants learned to: 1. Identify the barriers to involving young students who are deafblind in their IEP meetings. 2. Understand the benefits of early student involvement. 3. Understand the impacts of student self-advocacy and involvement on parent-school collaboration.

Transitions are challenging for deafblind children and their families. Much research has been done on postsecondary transition but the IFSP/IEP transition and transition from preschool to kindergarten are also fraught with challenges. In this presentation, to the Council for Exceptional Children, Lane discussed current research and strategies for a positive transition for students and their families.

​Participants learned to: 1. Understand the changing family support needs of families and gain strategies for fostering collaboration during these early transitions. 2. Identify challenges and successes that parents of children who are deafblind experience while working with IFSP/IEP teams during transition from an IFSP to an IEP. 3. Identify challenges and successes that parents of children who are deafblind experience while working with their IEP teams to transition from preschool to kindergarten.