Self-Advocacy Skills as a Predictor of Student IEP Participation among Adolescents with Autism

Abstract

The importance of student IEP participation has been indicated by both legislative mandates such as IDEA and research literature. The purpose of the current study was to examine those variables that predict student IEP participation among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders as compared to adolescents with disabilities other than autism spectrum disorders. Using logistic regression analyses, self-advocacy skills were revealed to be a significant predictor of student IEP participation among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. These results suggest the particular importance of developing self-advocacy skills among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders as compared to adolescents with disabilities other than autism spectrum disorders.