Self-Determination and Disability

One of the greatest challenges of rearing and teaching a child with a disability is knowing when to back away. Well-meaning parents and para professionals at times do too much for children with disabilities because they can't stand to see them become frustrated. They want to help.

One of our jobs as teachers and parents is to create independent learners. Children with disabilities, while being accommodated, must learn strategies to use on their own when they no longer have an IEP. Children must learn to make choices at home so that when they are no longer living with their parents (even in a group home or assisted living facility) they can function independently.

In my work as a college instructor, I have heard other professors state that students' parents call them to complain about a grade their child received in class, or parents are in other ways intruding into territory that the student should be covering themselves. Again, well-meaning parents sometimes try to create a perfect world for their children, but end up enabling them instead.

This article from PBS Teachers uses original research to convey the importance of self-determination in infancy. Tips for promoting self-determination are covered as well.