A “Snapshot” of Current Practices: How Are Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Displaying Self-Determination

Although self-determination has received increased attention as a critical component in quality education programs, there is limited current research about how and in what way students are displaying self-determined behaviors. To that end, a 29-item questionnaire was developed and 118 school system personnel reported how a sample of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in different grades employed self-determination strategies. Respondents were predominately White, female, had more than 10 years of experience, and largely worked with students with multiple disabilities at the elementary level. In all, the majority of students across grades were not taught specific self-determination skills. Also, students at the elementary level participated less in attending individualized education program (IEP) meetings or discussing their challenging behaviors than students at the secondary level, and typically received little or no instruction in self-determination. For those students who did receive instruction, self-instruction, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation were several of the strategies reported as being used by students to manage and regulate their behavior. The implications of the findings are discussed.