Why We Should Teach Self-Determination

Today, greater opportunity exists for people with disabilities to take charge of their lives.  Key Federal initiatives, such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act, American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and reformed state guardianship laws are encouraging people to assume more authority and responsibility for how they lead their lives and make decisions. 

However, the skills to self-determine present and future lives and to take greater control over the management of their school and community-based services continue to elude the majority of students with disabilities.  Adults with disabilities, when questioned, demonstrate poor knowledge of how service systems operate, what their rights are and how they can impact personal and systems decisions (Wehmeyer, 1992).   Conversely, one year after graduation, students with disabilities who left school more self-determined were more than twice as likely as their peers to be employed and earn significantly more (Wehmeyer & Palmer, in press; Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997).  

A major component of self-determination, self-advocacy, is a skill associated with successful transitions (Wehmeyer, 2001; Halpern, 1996).  The Arc of the United States defines self-advocacy as "acting and communicating for oneself" (The Arc, 1990).   It's not uncommon for people with disabilities to require several years of instruction and practice to become effective self-advocates.  It makes sense to receive that instruction and practice while in school in order to advance their chances of being productive and responsible adults upon exiting the school system.

Self-Advocacy in the Schools

A primary goal of the 1997 IDEA Amendments is to produce graduates who actively participate in their everyday life, live independently and enjoy economic self-sufficiency.  For this to happen, students need opportunities to express their desires and needs, and teachers and parents must raise their expectations of students and teach them how lead productive, independent adult lives.

IDEA expect students to attend and participate in their IEP and transition planning. The requirement to involve students in these meetings reflects the values of self-determination and shared responsibility. It may, however, challenge parents and professionals to change procedures and develop strategies to ensure that students are given an active and meaningful voice in the planning of their future. Activities that could be included in the students academic year that relate to the meetings:

  1. facilitating IEP/Transition meetings - builds skills to self-direct individualized vocational and community based services
  2. self-advocating during IEP/Transition meetings - builds skills to advocate for him/herself
  3. articulating description of disability and necessary accommodations in IEP/Transition meetings - builds skills to explain to employers, instructors and community members what the nature of their disability is and what types of supports "work" for them

In preparation for IEP or transition meetings, students must participate in activities, both in and out of school, designed to enhance their knowledge base and decision-making and communication skills.

Students aren't expected to have a polished set of skills by the time they graduate, but they should be well on their way.  Michael Wehmeyer suggests the following to students, teachers and parents:

  1. Good educational outcomes occur when students with disabilities are actively involved in all phases of their educational program from placement to graduation and learn skills they need to assume greater responsibility for all aspects of their adult lives.  
  2. A self-determination curriculum should focus on choice-making, decision-making, problem-solving, goal setting and attainment, self-observation, self-evaluation and self-reinforcement skills, internal locus of control, positive attributions of efficacy, self-awareness, and self-knowledge. Noncurricular strategies include increasing student involvement in educational planning and decision-making, mentoring, work and community experiences, modifications in school environments, and use of assistive technology 
  3. The most significant barriers to these outcomes can be traced to (a) overly controlling school procedures that place students on the outside of the educational process, (b) over reliance on testing, and (c) stereotyped, debilitating attitudes about and expectations for people with disabilities, reflected in the negative language used by many educators to refer to students. (Wehmeyer, 1992 

Self-Advocacy in the Community

Many students will receive supported living and employment services during their school years or when they graduate.  The services are eligibility based, not mandated, and require annual plans that are similar to IEPs and Transition Plans.  The services have been around for many years and have undergone many changes.  Currently, to save money, states are shifting increased portions of their program budgets to Federal matching-fund programs.  The Federal government is also attempting to control costs, and one way they are doing this is to move towards less expensive models of service.  One of these is self-directed services.  

In contrast to the traditional case management model, self-directed services transfers authority and responsibility for the design and delivery of services to the consumer and his/her support circle. With this transfer comes the expectation that the consumer assume a greater role in planning, designing, implementing and assessing the services they receive.  This expanded role requires discreet skills that students, and many parents, typically haven't acquired. This is partially due to low expectations, but also because service systems provide limited, if any, training and technical assistance to the consumers and families.  When this is the case, the authority and responsibility remain with professional and natural caregivers, leaving the consumer a minor role in the decision-making process.

It is in the best interest of the student if school and community based services collaborate to more efficiently assist the student in becoming self-determined.  By sharing planning content and attending meetings, both service systems can accomplish a great deal.

Why We Should Teach Self-Determination | Table of Contents | Self-Determination in the Classroom