Throughout special education history, students with disabilities have been denied appropriate services and excluded from their general education peers. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that all students with disabilities ages 3-21 have access to a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), IDEA does not mandate that students have an active role in the planning and development of their FAPE. Instead, IDEA merely requires that students get invited to attend their IEP meeting at age sixteen. Previous research examines the degree to which older students attend IEP meetings; however, scarce research is available which analyzes the inclusion of students in the overall IEP process (goal development, progress monitoring, etc.). For this study, seven participants (4 middle school special education teachers and 3 parents of middle school students receiving special education services) were interviewed regarding the successes and barriers to student inclusion in the IEP process and the acceptability/feasibility of utilizing a self-determination intervention to promote participation in the IEP process. Additionally, participants were interviewed about the educational impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three main concepts were established from participant interviews: mandates guide student engagement in the IEP process, lack of self-determination instruction in the classroom, and perceived competence impacts student inclusion. Results are discussed in the context of implications for special education policy, education, and training. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]