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Beach Center on Disability University of Kansaswww.beachcenter.org
Transition in the Community: Self-Determination in Kansas
Presented at the Annual Interhab ConferenceOctober 7, 2005
Susan [email protected]
785-864-0270
Denise [email protected]
785-864-7601
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•What is self-determination?
•What does self-determination contribute to transition from school life to community living?
•What does the research tell us about transition and self-determination?
•How does support for involvement of a person with disabilities work in real life?
•How do A.J. and Denise navigate the community to provide access for a good quality of life?
Essential Questions
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One way to characterize Self-Determination
Wehmeyer, M.L. (1996).
Self-determination refers to “acting as the primary causal agent in one’s life and making choices and decisions regarding one’s quality of life free from undue external influence or interference”.
A causal agent is someone who makes or causes things to happen in his or her life.
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Self Determinationas a Functional Outcome:
•Enables individuals to become self-
sufficient, self regulated learners.
•Empowers people to take greater control of
their own learning and life skills.
•Increases person-centered involvement in
schools and communities.
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IDEA ’97 Transition Services Definition
Transition services are a coordinated set of activities for a student designed within an outcomes-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities.
Transition activities must be based upon the individual student's needs, while taking into account the student’s preferences and interests.
Student involvement language in IDEA
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Standards in many districts include self-determination-related skills such as problem-solving and decision-making.
Instruction in self-determination serves as an entry point to the general curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities.
Self-Determination Supports
Standards-Based Learning
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PROCESS
Teach Component Elements of Self-
Determined Behavior
OUTCOMES
Essential Characteristics
of Self-Determined
Behavior
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Component Elements of Self-Determined Behavior
Choice-Making SkillsDecision-Making SkillsProblem-Solving Skills
Goal-Setting and Attainment SkillsIndependence, Risk-Taking and Safety SkillsSelf-Observation and Self-Evaluation Skills
Self-Reinforcement SkillsSelf-Instruction Skills
Self-Advocacy and Leadership SkillsSelf-AwarenessSelf-Knowledge
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Essential Characteristics of
Self-Determined Behavior
• Make choices and decisions as needed.
• Exhibit some personal or internal control over
actions.
• Feel capable and act that way.
• Understand the effects of own actions.
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Self-Determination After High School
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Low Self-Determination
High Self-Determination
High self-determination group was more likely to maintain both a checking and a saving account than the low self-determination group.
Wehmeyer, M., & Schwartz, M. (1997). Self-determination and positive adult outcomes: A follow-up study of youth with mental retardation and learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63(2), 245-255.
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How Important Is Self-Determination? Current Employment Status
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Work For Pay Find Own Job
Low Self-Determination
High Self-Determination
Ex-students in high self-determination group were more likely to be employed than their peers in the low self-determination group.
Wehmeyer, M., & Schwartz, M. (1997). Self-determination and positive adult outcomes: A follow-up study of youth with mental retardation and learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63(2), 245-255.
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Transition Using Self-DeterminationHelps Students:
• Learn to be advocates for themselves & others.
• Become problem-solvers & decision-makers.
• Be a part of their IEP team.
• Become self-regulated learners.
• Have a vision for the future & set goals to achieve it.
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• By enhancing capacity using component elements of self-determined behavior (choice-making, problem- solving skills).
• By being in an environment that supports choice and student-involvement.
• By having frequent experiences that include choice and student involvement.
• By providing supports and accommodations.
Self determination emerges…
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• AJ’s Dream Life
• Realities – How we are getting there
• Coordinating and paying for AJ’s
dream life
• It takes a lot of work and advocacy.
My Life, My Way – Planning for Life After High School
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Marshalling ResourcesWhat Do We Have to Work With?
• Individual Resources– Time, money, motivation, experience, strengths
• Community Resources– KU organizations, students, and faculty– People and their connections
• Government benefits– SSI– Section 8 Housing– HCBS
– Food stamps– School– Vocational Rehabilitation
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AJ’s Dream Life
• Work
• Home
• Well-Being
• Friends
• Fun
• Family
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Work – AJ’s Dream
• “I want to be a manager”
• “I want to write people up”
• “On Monday, on Tuesday, on Wednesday. . . .”
• “I want to earn $100”
• “No thank you”
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Work – The Reality
• This tells us he wants– Choice and control, authority– Variety– Competitive wage
• He is clear about what he doesn’t want• Behavior – completing tasks and interpersonal• Pet Store, video rental, preschool volunteer, own
business
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Work - Marshalling Resources• Support from teacher and paras in current job• Day supports, PA supports, or Individual control of
HCBS funds can pay for job development and supportive employment (job coaches)
• KU Connection• Building his work experience and skills• How and when do we tie in vocational
rehabilitation?• Getting community employers to hire AJ• How might we help AJ develop his own business?
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Home – AJ’s Dream
• “I’ll live in my own apartment with a pool and pets”
• “No lawn to mow. I want a housekeeper”
• “Wife and 2 children (or pretty girls) for roommates”
• “The old house in Leavenworth – buy it for $100”
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Home – The Reality
• Sharing a duplex with 2 men• Only Henry the tortoise, cat with Mom, dog
still a dream• No lawn to mow• Nice room with lots of space – all his furniture
and videos• The next steps – pets, roommates closer to
his age, less in-home supports, increased skills (self and home care)
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Home - Marshalling Resources• SSI pays for his share of rent and utilities.• Applying for food stamps. • On waiting list for low-income housing (Section
8) voucher. Will he have to move to use it?• Might he want to own his own home?
Programs available to help him buy a home in the future.
• Roommate, assistants, school staff teaching skills to live more independently.
• Monitoring equipment?
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Well-Being_ AJ’s Dream
• “I don’t want to be old, sick and tired”
• “I am handsome”
• AJ has no concrete vision in this area
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Well-Being - The Reality
• AJ’s team needs to translate this for him• How to balance his desires with health -
diet and exercise• Lawrence Athletic Club, monthly
massage therapy, swimming, limit sweets and fat (low fat, sugar free, veggie pizzas)
• Increase his awareness and skills
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Well-Being - Marshalling Resources
• Well-Being – Mom pays for LAC membership and massage.
Medicaid might be able to if they were determined to be medically necessary.
– Mom’s health insurance pays for health care.– Hard to find doctors who accept Medicaid in
Lawrence. – Friends and others do more active activities (bike
riding, canoeing, hiking, yoga).
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Friends – AJ’s Dream
• “Margaret will marry me. We’ll have a boy and girl. A cat and a dog.”
• The world is made up of 2 kinds of people --girls and everyone else. Only girls are worth noticing.
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Friends – The Reality• Margaret is AJ’s friend, but not a “girlfriend”.• A few other friends, but the “girlfriend” trumps all others.• AJ can easily become obsessed with a girl• How can he learn to value guy friends and groups of
friends? • Learning how to be a friend to others. • How to encourage friendships – not just paid supports
or “volunteer projects”.• Currently a weak area, but the most important in terms
of AJ’s future
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Friends - Marshalling Resources
• Teacher helps facilitate friendships at school
• KU Connection
• Natural Ties and Best Buddies
• AJ has many strengths, but behavior a major challenge
• Short of resources in this area.
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Fun – AJ’s Dream
• “Playing video games”• “Eating out”• “Watching cartoons”• “Hanging out on Mass. Street”• “Buying some games”• “Get my drivers license so I can go anywhere”
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Fun – The Reality
• What’s wrong with letting him sit home and play video games?
• Everything he likes to do costs money• Transportation – public and support providers.• AJ has interests, but seems limited• Activities help keep AJ’s behavior under
control, but if denied a preferred activity, then aggression may occur
• Preferred people (girls) can be motivating
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Fun - Marshalling Resources
• AJ is learning that he has to make choices with his money. SSI funds do not go very far.
• Creative ideas of support people – encourage him to try new things.
• Looking for a replacement for high school dances.
• KU Connection next year – open up new opportunities.
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Family – AJ’s Dream
• “Mom, you come and take me out”
• “Mom, I hate you”
• “Dad come to Lawrence, visit me here”
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Family – The Reality
• Mom linked to AJ’s obsessions and aggressive behavior
• Establishing new ways of being together - contact, but not too close
• AJ visits Dad in TX at holidays. Enjoys, but says he doesn’t want to go.
• Planning for future – planned family, not just blood family.
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Family - Marshalling Resources
• Mom’s role changing from managing daily life to helping AJ set vision for future
• Keeping connected with family (other than Mom) takes effort
• What role will his brother take in his future?• How do we integrate modest family financial
resources without compromising AJ’s benefits?