SelfDetermination for Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities

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Self-Determination for Individuals with Cognitive
Disabilities

• Center for Self-Determination
• Laura Huber Marshall
• College of Education
• University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
• lhmarsha_at_uccs.edu 719-262-4168

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Center for Self-Determination Mission

• To promote research and exemplary demonstrations
  that facilitate the capacities of individuals
  with disabilities to choose, set goals, and self
  manage their lives.

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What is self-determination?

• Ward (1988) defines self-determination as
  attitudes that lead people to define goals for
  themselves and their ability to achieve those
  goals.
• Field and Hoffman (1994) define
  self-determination as the ability to define and
  achieve goals based on a foundation of knowing
  and valuing oneself.

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Why is self-determination important?

• Wehmeyer and Schwartz (1997) found that
  self-determined students were more likely to have
  achieved positive adult outcomes than peers who
  were not self-determined.
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  (IDEA) requires that students Individual
  Education Plan (IEP) activities must be based
  upon student preferences and interests.

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What are our past and current projects?

• We received four US Department of Education,
  Office of Special Education Programs, model
  demonstration and outreach grants totaling 1.95
  million.
• ChoiceMaker Self-Determination Curriculum and
  Lessons
• Choose and Take Action Software and Lessons
• Choice Making for Elementary Students
• ChoiceMaker Network

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ChoiceMaker Curriculum Lessons

• Lessons and videos to teach students to identify
  their interests, skills, and limits then use this
  information to set and accomplish goals in
  different areas of their lives.

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ChoiceMaker Curriculum Lessons
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Sample Lessons
_at_University of Colorado, 1999
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_at_University of Colorado, 2000
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_at_University of Colorado, 1997
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_at_University of Colorado, 1997
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_at_University of Colorado, 1999
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Research

• In a comparison of the McGill Action Planning
  System (MAPS) and the ChoiceMaker Curriculums
  Choosing Goals lessons taught to students with
  mental retardation, the results favored the
  ChoiceMaker lessons on teacher and student
  self-determination scales and efficiency of
  instruction.
• Cross, Cooke, Wood, Test (1999)

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• Six adolescents with mild to moderate mental
  retardation were taught to attain their IEP
  (Individual Education Plan) goals using the
  ChoiceMaker Curriculums Take Action lessons.
  Results show that all students learned to meet
  their daily goals and maintained this performance
  after withdrawal of instruction.
• German, Martin, Huber Marshall, Sale (1999)

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Choose and Take Action Software Lessons

• Interactive software, lessons, and community
  experiences designed to assist students with
  significant cognitive disabilities in making
  employment choices.

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Choose and T
ake
Action Process
Choose
Select job activity and
setting to try (on computer)
Choose
Again
Plan
Decide to try again or
Develop a plan for
try something else
the setting
(on computer)
(on computer)
T
ry It
Evaluate
Complete plan
Evaluate the
at setting
plan results
(in community)
(on computer)
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_at_University of Colorado, 2001
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Field Testing

• Field tested in four states
• Findings incorporated into the software and
  instructional materials
• Revised and field tested again in 27 schools in
  six states

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Choice Making for Elementary Students

• Lessons to teach elementary students to use
  self-determination skills to meet academic
  standards and behavior and social expectations.

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Critical Topics to Teach in Elementary Schools

• Responsibility Organization
• Academics Self-Advocacy
• Respecting Others Goal Setting Attainment
• Social Skills Education Participation
• Good Behavior Self-Evaluate Adjust
• Self Esteem/Efficacy Safety Health
• Choice Making Self-Awareness
• Findings from focus groups conducted in spring
  2000

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Choosing and Reaching Reading Goals Lessons

• Student learns the reading standard.
• Student chooses a goal focused on a reading
  skill.
• Student writes plan.
• Student acts on plan.
• Student and teacher evaluate reading performance.
• Student adjusts goal, plan, or action to meet
  standard.

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_at_University of Colorado, 2001
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_at_University of Colorado, 2001
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ChoiceMaker Network

• Trained trainers in five states in ChoiceMaker
  and other self-determination curricula to teach
  teachers, parents, administrators, and students.

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ChoiceMaker NetworkEnd of Project Summary
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Past and Current Project Collaborators

• National, state, and local grant projects
• Other universities, CU campuses and departments
• Colorado Department of Education
• Numerous school districts
• Adult service agencies and parent and advocacy
  centers
• Sopris West Educational Services - publication,
  technology, and training

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Future Projects Ideas

• Seek funds for the development and research of
  multi-media instructional materials and
  technology combining the self-determination skill
  instruction with acquisition of the following
• academic standards
• positive post-school outcomes (personal,
  educational, and vocational)
• family guidance and support
• promotion of social skills and behavioral supports

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