Experiences of individualized education program development team members on program preparation process: A special education kindergarten sample

The aim of the research is to examine the experiences of the members in the IEP development team in a special education kindergarten regarding the IEP preparation process. Phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of sixteen participants consisting of three special education teachers, four preschool teachers, a school administrator and eight families in a special education kindergarten in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye. The participants was selected via convenience sampling. Data were analyzed by inductive analysis by using Nvivo 11 program. As a result of the research, it was concluded that families should take part in the IEP preparation process and special education teachers should have more responsibilities in the process. The results of the research revealed that IEP development meetings were not held, but they are just pretended to be formally held, and that school administrators and preschool teachers have lack of knowledge on special education and IEP preparation process. It was also oberved that there were difficulties due to the absence of a guidance teacher in the school. It was also revealed that the families who stated that they attended the IEP meeting confused the parent-school meetings held at the beginning of the year with the IEP meetings.