response II
Making it Happens: Strategies for Self Determination
Denise L. Winston ESE 645: Lesson Design for Students With
Mild to Moderate Disabilities Dr. Shaley Klepfer
Nov. 12, 2020
Self Determination is.....
• Self Determination "encompasses concepts such a as free will, civil, and human rights,
freedom of choice, independence, personal agency, self-direction, and individual
responsibility" (nscet.org). Self Determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000; Ryan &
Deci, 2000) is based on the assumption that people have inborn tendencies to grow
and develop psychologically, to strive to master challenges in the environment to
integrate experience into self- conflict. According brughthubeducation.com, "young
adults should have an active role in planning his own curriculum, daily schedule, rules
and punishments, the young adult with a disability should have these priveledges
beyond those provided to another student of the same age, the goal is to begin a
transition of the young adult into the afterschool adult life style.
Self Determination Main Principle (Discuss Develop Goal Setting and Planning and Help Youth Understand Their Disabilities):
• Strategies 1:
• "Knowing that each student is unique"
• Knowing the needs of a student with disabilities is essential, because students learn at many
different levels. As educators, we need to be aware of students' needs through applying
accommodations and modifications that are aligned with their disability. Involving students in
their educational experiences will keep a positive connection with them. Students want to be
recognized as much as possible.
Strategies cont.d
Strategy 2:
"Embracing Advocacy"
Being able to prepare for your students is another way that is essential for accommodating their
needs. Advocacy contributes to most of what educators represent for their students in
the classroom by providing the necessary time preparation and documentation for their students
with special needs in the classroom (accreditedschoolsonline.org). Educators speaking up about
students with disabilities for sharing information in regards to them can be met in their learning
environment. Other ways to advocate would be with seeking advice from special education
coordinators, and administrators what can be a voice for students with disabilities for improving
programs to meet their needs.
Strategies cont.d
• Strategy 3
• "Create opportunities for Success"
• Collaborating with students and their parents will play a significant role in keeping effective
strategies aligned for connecting them to the right resources,educational opportunities they are
entitled to. Also, students will need opportunities with goals and objectives that can be available
to them during their educational experiences. Keeping parents and their students first will
produce connections that will allow the students with higher expectations for academic
achievement.
Share an idea you have for how these strategies might be used effectively during instruction or assessment opportunities in your future practice to help students learn self –determination skills
• Students need to know that they are unique in many ways, as
educators we can support their individual learning
experiences with identifying their needs, by embracing
advocacy with students, and creating every opportunity for
them, including involving students in all aspects of the goals
that are set for them.
Reference
• Bremer, C.D., Kachgal, M., & Schoeller, K. (2003). Self Determination: Supporting Successful
transmission. Research to Practice Brief: Improving Secondary Education and Transition Services
Through Research 2 (1). Retrieved from http:// www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp? Id+962
• Teaching Students with Disabilities Expert Advice & Strategies acreditedschoolonline.org
• Terry,J. (2012,September 11). Teaching self-determination to people with developmental
disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-inclusion-
strategies/52062-teaching-self-determination-to-students-with-disabilities/