Self-Determination Is Key

Self-determination is using your skills, knowledge, and understanding of your strengths and weaknesses to make and meet personal goals. Individuals with self-determination have the ability to control their lives and become successful in their goals. It is important for students with disabilities to learn skills like goal setting, problem solving and decision making in order to be more self-determined. When students with disabilities show self-determination they can take on more control and responsibilities in their lives. Being able to make some decisions about their own lives, gives these students more self-esteem and self-worth. Like my parents did, it’s important to demonstrate these skills in order to teach students with disabilities how to take responsibility for making decisions.


In another class I learned exactly what self-determination is and how important it is for us as educators to teach students with disabilities the skills they need to become more self-determined. I learned that students with disabilities just want to be seen as another human being and that allowing them to make decisions and set goals for themselves gives them more self-esteem and more courage to go after better things. Students with disabilities who are more self-determined are more likely to get higher paying jobs with health benefits than other students with disabilities who aren’t self-determined. This information makes it very important that we teach students how to set personal goals, advocate for themselves, and create plans to achieve their goals. When students with disabilities use these skills, people and society as a whole will look at them differently.



Stephen Eastop. June 2, 2010. 8 Hands. Retrieved on September 15, 2010 from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1285842.