Self-Determination: The Meaningful Outcome

Self-Determination

What is SD?What are the traits of a SD Person?Why is SD Important?

Self-Determined People Will Make choices and set goals based

upon an understanding of their interests, skills, and limits

Express their goals to help build support

Establish a plan to attain their goal Evaluate their plan Adjust their goal or plan

Self-Determination

Martin & Huber Marshall, 1993

Self-Determination Constructs

• Self-awareness• Self-advocacy• Self-efficacy• Decision-making• Independent performance• Self-evaluation• Adjustment

Motivational Impact

Choice making appears to enhance motivation for individuals with severe disabilities

Bambara, Ager, & Koger (1994)

Is This Choice?

Or, is this choice?

Goal Attainment

From an awareness of personal needs individuals will choose goals, then doggedly pursue them (Martin

& Huber Marshall, 1993)

SD is a person’s ability to define and achieve goals from a base of knowing and valuing oneself (Field & Hoffman, 1994, 1995)

SD is the repeated use of skills necessary to act on the environment in order to attain goals that satisfy self-defined needs and interests (Mithaug, 1996)

SD Is a By Product of Skills and Opportunities

Skills

opportunity

Self-Determination Bits

SD is all important for individuals with disabilities

Attainment of SD is the crucial goal for people with disabilities

SD is an inherent right

Choices initiate SD

Importance

Successful people are self-determined SD Increases school

outcomes SD increases post-

school outcomes

Now, What do we do????

Do We Sit and Wait Until Someone Is out Of School?

No, we get started now! But How?

Infuse SD Instructional Opportunities Into Secondary

Education

Step 1: Choosing Goals Based Upon Your Interests, Skills, and Limits

Step 2: Student Participation in Educational Decision-Making

Answer These Questions

Does the student: Opportunity

Begin meeting by stating purpose?

0 1 2 3 4 5

Introduce participants? 0 1 2 3 4 5

Review past goals and performance?

0 1 2 3 4 5

Express skills and limits? 0 1 2 3 4 5

Express interests? 0 1 2 3 4 5

State needed support? 0 1 2 3 4 5

Step 3: Take Action - Planning, Evaluating, and Adjusting

It’s fun to dream, but how do

students make dreams happen?

My Plan

Where do I want to work after graduation?

Where do I want to learn after graduation?

Where do I want to live after graduation?

What do I need to learn now to learn where I want?

What do I need to learn now to live where I want?

What do I need to learn now to work where I want?

Collaborative Effort