Providing Support for the Whole Child: Using IEP Supports for Disabled, LGBTQ+ Youth

Abstract

Students with disabilities who received special education services in the United States are provided with academic, behavioral, social, and emotional support through an individualized education plan (IEP). Disabled students who openly identify as LGBTQ+ have unique experiences in school that can require assistance with navigating the acceptance of sexual orientation and the coming out experience. Statistically, disabled students and LGBTQ+ students report increased levels of harassment, victimization, bullying, bias, and aggression due to these characteristics. In addition, a disabled student who is LGBTQ+ can experience hardships at home with unaccepting parents and caregivers. This study examines how IEP goals and supports can be included to better assist students with these experiences. Through social and emotional goals, as well as counseling services, students living this intersectional identity can receive more support and guidance, especially when their needs are better understood from educational professionals. In addition, through IEP transition services, students can be provided post-school strategies, activities, and support systems as they transition into adulthood and careers. These are important considerations given that approximately three to five million people live with these intersecting identities.