Why should students know their disability?
The purpose of school is to prepare students for future life after high school. This is a greater concern for students in special education because many times they are dependent on others to help their success. “Self-determination is now widely recognized in the literature as a best-practice procedure in the education of students with disabilities, particularly regarding facilitating students’ transition from high school to adult life” (Thoma et al., 2002, p. 242). From research it has been determined that individuals with higher levels of self-determination and are more independent will have a better quality of life (Arndt et al, 2006; Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 2007). It has also been found that teaching self-determination skills improves academic performance (Ardnt et al., 2006).
Students with special needs will achieve positive and deserving outcomes within their education when they have developed appropriate self-determination skills. In the end, we want students to be an active part of their education. A few forms of active participation are goal setting and self-advocacy. Numerous studies from across the country have demonstrated that students can learn the skills to actively participate in their IEP meetings when team members expect student participation, and educators teach IEP meeting terminology, roles, and what to do (Martin & Marshall, 2002; Thoma et al., 2002; Test et al. 2004).