Inclusion and Self-Determination for Secondary Students with Disabilities: The Effects of Interventions and Classroom Placement

Self-determination, which includes abilities and skills people need to act or cause things to happen in their lives (e.g., self-advocacy, choice-making, problem-solving, goal-setting), is critical for people across the life course, including adolescents learning in inclusive classrooms. Although secondary teachers recognize the value of providing students with opportunities and experiences to build self-determination in inclusive contexts, they often are limited in instructional time to promote self-determination directly and consistently. Students with disabilities are even less likely to build self-determination skills due to restrictive learning environments. This scoping review sought to explore the relationship between self-determination instruction and inclusive contexts for secondary students with disabilities. Full inclusion provides all students with access to the general education curriculum and to meaningful and diverse social interactions. Results showed that self-determination instruction and interventions could promote successful inclusion, but that classroom placement alone does not predict students’ levels of self-determination.