This study examined 68 parents' views of the self-determination skills and capacities of their young adult children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability (ages 19-21 years). Results indicated parents placed a high value on the importance of all seven component skills (i.e., choice-making skills, decision-making skills,…

Limited research has explored the perceptions of self-determination held by diverse families. In this study, seven mothers of transition-age youth with severe disabilities who were Hispanic were interviewed. Each mother was actively engaged in advocacy related to diverse children with disabilities in their local schools and communities. Mothers…

Although paraprofessionals play a prominent role in the education of students with severe disabilities, little is known about the roles these school staff play in fostering self-determination. In this descriptive study, researchers examined the extent to which 347 paraprofessionals employed at 135 randomly selected schools (a) considered each of…

The Special Olympics has been a controversial program for persons with severe disabilities. There have been numerous discussion articles in the literature concerning pros and cons of the Special Olympics, and research has often found negative results concerning the Special Olympics. The purpose of this article is to review and to discuss concerns…

In this article, Keith Storey provides a modest update to his earlier case against the Special Olympics. Several sections have been updated, with some additional consideration of issues related to severe disabilities. The article now includes sections on choice and self-determination and use of taxpayer dollars to fund Special Olympics programs.…

Although it is true that good planning does not always lead to a good life, it is equally true that supporting people to have a full, rich life does not happen without good planning. In the past 12 years, the author's organization has supported over 125 people to live in their own homes, control their own funding, direct their own supports,…

This paper focuses on the emerging literature related to self-determination funding which holds that individuals with disabilities should have greater control over the money allocated to serve them than they have had in the past and that service-provider agencies have now. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on self-determination…

In recent decades, there have been shifts in the conceptualization of intellectual disability and increased attention has been directed toward the importance of identifying and capitalizing on the strengths and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities as a means to promote meaningful participation, community inclusion, and quality of…

It is important that individuals with severe disabilities be self-determined and make choices in their lives. The challenge is to make sure that the choices are informed in order to respect the dignity of the individual so that they are not caught in a "catch-22" where their choice is not a true choice. This will involve the development of a…

Individuals become self-determined when they are empowered to make choices that match their interests. But caregivers' perceptions of what they think individuals with severe disabilities like often direct vocational decision making. This choice by proxy denies individuals with disabilities an opportunity to become self-determined. We examined…

A comprehensive review was conducted of intervention studies designed to teach component skills of self-determination to individuals with severe disabilities. Twenty-one articles were analyzed regarding content and methodology. Results (a) support previous research on the efficacy of teaching choice making; (b) increase awareness of teaching…

Self-determination for people with severe disabilities first appears in the 1972 writing of Benget Nirje, where he came to the realization that they could and should have a role in their own choices. Nirje's writings called for a wide range of actions that would enable them to better control their lives and destinies, including choice and control…

This survey study investigated the influences of culture, socioeconomic status, and children's special education status on parents' engagement in fostering self-determination behaviors. Major findings included (a) children from Caucasian families were more involved in personal independence activities than Asian and African American children; (b)…

Although some progress has been made, the belief that students with severe cognitive and multiple disabilities will not or cannot become self-determined remains a barrier for many such students. This article revisits topics that were identified in Wehmeyer (1998) as contributing to this problem, with a particular focus on definitional issues…

The five manuscripts reviewed in this article by the author provide a helpful discussion of the status of the professional disability field, with regard to understanding and advancing self-determination. The authors of the five manuscripts provided evidence on the progress that has been achieved in key areas in the advancement of…