Research Symposium

BIO

Amelie Galbraith is a Creative Writing major originally from Berkshire, England. Although her core passions lie within literature and the creative arts, Amelie's research interests extend to special education, disability advocacy, and psychology. Her younger sister has a rare chromosomal abnormality, and this personal experience inspired her to be a part of research that helps better special education in the United States. Amelie aspires to be a writer and journalist committed to illuminating untold stories.

Enhanced Self-Determination Instruction: Empowering Students with Disabilities

Abstract

In the field of special education, increasing evidence suggests that students with disabilities can hugely benefit from self-determination instruction: a method of instruction which helps students create goals for themselves and feel empowered. Studies show a positive correlation between self-determination levels of students with disabilities and improved post-secondary outcomes in education, employment, and independent living—three critical areas for students transitioning out of school support structures. This research study explored the question: “How does enhanced self-determination instruction influence the self-determination skills of transition-aged students with disabilities?” The study focused on the implementation of enhanced self-determination (a combination of C3ForMe’s person-centered, small-group communication activities with standard self-determination curricula) to help students develop skills in decision-making, self-awareness, self-advocacy, and goal-setting. Positive psychology grounds the research, focusing on the strengths of students with disabilities. Participants included 16 students (ages 11-15) in intellectual disabilities (InD) classrooms, two special education teachers, and two paraprofessionals. Students received 28 lessons over 14 weeks. The research team administered the AIR Self-Determination assessment to measure students’ levels of self-determination before and after the instruction took place. Preliminary findings suggest that enhanced self-determination instruction positively impacts students’ self-determination skills. This study underscores the importance of individualized, person-centered instruction in special education and its potential to improve outcomes for transition-aged students. Future research could explore ways to adapt self-determination instruction for students with disabilities beyond intellectual differences, such as developing a program for nonverbal students, students with limited mobility, and students with differing cognitive abilities.

Keywords: special education, disability, self-determination