Self-Determination
“Historically, self-determination has referred to the right of a nation to self-governance. This concept has been adopted and adapted by disability rights advocates, to refer to the right of people with disabilities to control their own lives” (Price et al., 2002, p. 1). Self-determination was first written into law in the Public Housing act of 1988. Subsequently the Rehabilitation Act of 1992 and 1998 and the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990 and 1997 put emphasis on self-determination for students with disabilities (Wood, Karvonen, Test, Browder, Algozzine, 2004).
Self-determination is a skill that is necessary for students with disabilities to be independent. Without self-determination skills students will never feel free from the continuous influence from others. Students with disabilities need to be able to understand that they have the opportunity to make their own choices and decisions within their education and life. Understanding self-determination is simply not enough. Self-determination skills should be “practiced on a daily basis to be successful”(Hammer, 2004). Self-determination educates students about their rights as an individual with a disability and it also relates to academic success. Research has found a positive relationship between grade point averages of students with learning disabilities and scores on self-determination assessment (Field, 2005).
Self-determination is not a single event; it can take place at any time in any place. It needs to go beyond the classroom, and carried out into real life situations because students are not going to be confined within the school setting throughout their entire lives. “Self-determination as a concept has the potential to revolutionize support for person with disabilities and to reorganize state and federal policy” (Baker, Horner, Sappington, & Ard, 2000, p. 154). It has the power to change the lives of those with disabilities for years to come.