Self-Determination

Self-determination is important to student and youth success in and after school. It is a research-based predictor of positive outcomes for individuals with disabilities (Mazzotti et al., 2021). It has been a primary focus of interventions and supports in adult services, special education, and vocational rehabilitation for decades.

The “skills, knowledge, and beliefs needed to engage in goal-directed behaviors based on an understanding of one’s strengths, limitations, and self” (Field et al., 1998) has framed our understanding of this crucial component of successful transition planning and service delivery.

There are multiple definitions of self-determination, but generally, it describes individuals who:

• act or cause things to happen as they set and work toward goals in their lives (Shogren, 2020) and who
• make choices,
• solve problems,
• set goals,
• evaluate options,
• take initiative to reach one’s goals, and
• accept consequences of one’s actions (Rowe et al., 2015).

Self-determination has been identified as an effective practice (see the Effective Practices topic), as have many of the components that when combined, support self- determination. Research identifies the components of self-determination to include:

• Choice-making
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Goal-setting and attainment
• Self-advocacy (knowledge of self and rights, communication, leadership)
• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Self-efficacy

Often self-determination and self-advocacy are used interchangeably, yet in education and many other disability and research disciplines, self-advocacy is one element of self-determination.

The Rehabilitation Act, as amended by WIOA (2014) includes instruction in self-advocacy as one of the five required pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) provided by all State vocational rehabilitation agencies.