It’s My Turn (IMT) training is a self-determination curriculum for students with disabilities in middle school through high school who have more intensive needs.
It’s My Turn (IMT) training is a self-determination curriculum for students with disabilities in middle school through high school who have more intensive needs. The program, developed by the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD), is funded by the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and is currently supported by the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children, OCECD’s federally funded Parent Training and Information (PTI) Center grant, Project Launch, WIFACETS and OCECD funds.
The IMT three-day self-determination training for students with disabilities is offered through school districts and is free of charge. A version of the training is also now available virtually and through on-demand modules.
The three-day training covers:
- The Laws
- Employability
- Post-Secondary Options
- Living Skills
- Community Participation
Students learn about themselves, explore possible options, set goals, and learn how to locate and connect with agencies and people who can support them in reaching their goals.
The training incorporates fun activities, mock IEPs, role plays, and the use of props and visuals to encourage the active engagement of students. The three-day training concludes with a parent night in which students, families, schools, and the community are invited to participate.
OCECD developed a new self-determination training, It’s My Turn- Goals, Planning, Success (IMT-GPS), for students with mild to moderate needs who are on an IEP, 504 plan, or are classified as students at risk. This new curriculum includes:
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Individual Education Program (IEP)
- Addressing Transition in the IEP
- Section 504
- ADA
- Job Opportunities/Descriptions
- Self-Advocacy Skills
- Problem Solving
- Backward Planning
- Resources
OCECD can present both trainings in three consecutive days, with each day consisting of two sessions, one each morning and one each afternoon. Sessions are 2 1/2 hours in length, with a maximum of 16 students per group (32 students per day). In this format, OCECD trainers can present the original IMT training to one group, and the IMT-GPS to the second group of students.
Materials & Delivery Mechanisms
“Such a wonderful program for lifting our students so they could see their potential. You not only lift the students, you lift the parents, staff and community.” –Transition Coordinator
“I learned about the important part that I have in choosing what job I want for my future.”-Student
“She is more aware of what it takes to have a successful job and live on her own. She wants to be as independent as possible.” – Parent
“Techniques used to involve even the most resistant students were exemplary of what education should be in America.” –Administrator