My Life: Effects of a longitudinal, randomized study of self-determination enhancement on the transition outcomes of youth in foster care and special education

Relationships Between Self-Determination and Postschool Outcomes for Youth With Disabilities

“…In terms of independent living, Wehmeyer and Palmer (2003) and Wehmeyer and Schwartz (1997) did not find a significant relationship between independent living and self-determination status 1 year postschool, but Wehmeyer and Palmer, who also tracked students 3 years post-school, did find that students with higher levels of self-determination were significantly more likely to live independently 3 years post-school. Powers et al (2012) found a relationship between self-determination and independent living, but this was related to youth remaining in or exiting foster care, an outcome unique to this population. Our study only followed students for 2 years post-school, perhaps suggesting that it takes longer periods of time for young adults to access opportunities to live independently.…”

“…Researchers have documented a relationship between self-determination and school-based outcomes, including student involvement in transition planning (Test et al, 2009), access to the general education curriculum (Shogren, Palmer, Wehmeyer, Williams-Diehm, & Little, 2012), and academic skills (Konrad, Fowler, Walker, Test, & Wood, 2007). A small body of research has suggested a direct relationship between self-determination and postschool outcomes, such as employment, independent living, and quality of life (Lachapelle et al, 2005;Martorell, Gutierrez-Recacha, Pereda, & Ayuso-Mateos, 2008;Powers et al, 2012;Wehmeyer & Palmer, 2003;Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997). For example, Powers and colleagues (2012) examined the impact of the TAKE CHARGE self-determination curriculum (Powers et al, 2001) on 69 youth receiving special education who were in the foster care system.…”

Self-Determination and Choice

“…A recent randomized-trial study by Powers et al ( 2012 ) also provided causal evidence of the effect of promoting self-determination on community inclusion. Powers and colleagues implemented the TAKE CHARGE intervention with youth in foster care who were receiving special education services, including students with intellectual disability.…”

Transition to adulthood for young people with intellectual disability: the experiences of their families

“…Research has shown that there is a relationship between young people with Down syndrome being in open employment and those young people exhibiting better behaviour and experiencing better family quality of life [18][19][20]. The important role of functioning in activities of daily living [20] and self-determination has also been associated with post school outcomes such as employment, independent living and quality of life [18,19,21,22]. Australian research has shown that those with intellectual disability gain open employment much less often than those with other disabilities with this unfortunate situation persisting for over a decade [23].…”