Article
Self-Determination and Transition Planning
Strong self-determination skills help students with disabilities become effective advocates who have more control over their lives.
What is self-determination?
Self-determination is essentially believing that you are involved, front and center, in matters concerning your life and future. It involves being taught and applying skills around self-awareness, choice-making, decision-making, problem-solving, self-advocacy and goal-setting. Developing self-determination skills helps students become effective advocates and have more control over their lives. These skills give students the ability to define and achieve goals based on a foundation of knowing and valuing ones self (Field and Hoffman, 1994).
- Choice-making
- Asking for help
- Self-advocating
- Goal-setting
- Expressing preferences
- Understanding one’s identity
Individuals’ preferences and interests should be at the center of transition planning. Building self-determination skills allows an individual to contribute to the development of their transition plan and vision for their future, no matter which communication modality they use (e.g., speech, communication devices, manual signs or sign language, etc.).
This may involve making choices or decisions about leisure activities, work, continuing education, and their living situation. It may also involve deciding with whom one wants to spend time. Development of these skills promotes independence, confidence, and empowerment to take ownership of their lives. Studies show that self-determination not only has an immediate impact on quality of life for people with disabilities, but it seems to have a long-lasting effect.
Self-determination status upon exiting high school predicts positive outcomes in achieving employment and community access… Exposure to self-determination interventions in secondary school may lead to more stability in student outcomes over time.
(Shogren, Karrie A., et al. “Relationships between self-determination and postschool outcomes for youth with disabilities.” The Journal of Special Education 48.4 (2015): 256-267.)
Age-related considerations
- Choice-making
- Making leisure activity choices
- Making mealtime choices
- Choosing clothing
- Self-advocacy
- Advocating for basic wants and needs (e.g. bathroom, eating, drinking, etc.)
- Asking for help when needed
- Requesting a break
- Communicating about feelings (e.g., frustration, excitement, pride) and physical states (e.g. pain, discomfort, etc.)
- Participating in development of one’s own vision statement and goals for the future
- Sharing information about one’s disability with others as needed (e.g., professors, managers, etc.)
- Understanding one’s identity
- Understanding one’s identity, including aspects such as disability, culture, gender, sexuality, etc.
- Identifying and communicating one’s own areas of support needs (e.g., self care, educational accommodations, etc.)
- Becoming involved in one’s community in meaningful ways
- Learning about IDEA, FERPA, and the ADA to be empowered and informed about their rights
Resources and assessments
These resources will provide additional insight into the importance of teaching, practicing and embracing self-determination:
- ECC at Perkins: Building a future starts with self determination
- An article describing self-determination, its importance, and its role in transition: Perkins School for the Blind: Self-Determination
- A resource for the individual who is transitioning to the workplace or university – Self-Advocacy Terms and Descriptions
- A resource for an individual who is transitioning to postsecondary education – Understanding Academic Accommodations
- Disability Disclosure on the Job: What, Why, When, and How – for students and families
- Preparing for the future using an Activity Based self-determination curriculum
Many standardized assessments are not designed for individuals with visual impairments; as such, they may be administered informally as part of a comprehensive evaluation that uses multiple tools or measures to assess language skills, including, but not limited to:
- Social Language Development Test – Adolescent: Normative Update and Social Language Development Test – Elementary: Normative Update
- Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals – Fifth Edition (CELF-5) Pragmatics Profile
Student self-assessment checklists:
- Self-Determination Student Self-Assessment
- Self-Determination Self-Advocacy Checklist
- How Do I Advocate for Myself?
- High School Checklist for College Readiness
Stay in the conversation about post-secondary transition.
Our experts are changing the way people think about preparing students with disabilities for their post-secondary journeys – in college, career and the community. Stay up to date about the latest insight, research and resources.
