Self-determination and agency for all: Supporting students with severe disabilities

ABSTRACT

Supporting agency can be complex and challenging, especially when teaching students with severe disabilities (i.e., students with intellectual disability, autism, and/or multiple disabilities who are eligible for their state’s alternate assessment). In this article, we compare Bandura’s model of agency with constructs from the severe disabilities literature (i.e., self-determination and social role valorization) to identify unique challenges for promoting agency with this population. In particular, we focus on how a common staffing pattern in special education—assigning one-to-one staff to work with students with severe disabilities—can unintentionally decrease opportunities for student agency. We describe peer support arrangements, an alternative support model that intentionally fades adult support in order to promote self-determined behavior and student agency. We highlight how this evidence demonstrates that despite unique challenges, it is possible to promote agency for students with severe disabilities through approaches such as peer support arrangements.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional Resources

• 1. Carter, E. W., Moss, C. K., Asmus, J., Fesperman, E., Cooney, M., Brock, M. E., …Vincent, L. (2015). Promoting inclusion, social connections, and learning through peer support arrangements. Teaching Exceptional Children. 48, 9–18. doi:10.1177/0040059915594784

In this step-by-step guide written for practitioners, Carter and colleagues outline how teachers and paraprofessionals can implement peer support arrangements for students with severe disabilities. Vignettes illustrate examples of each aspect of implementation.

• 2. Schaefer, J. M., Cannella-Malone, H. I., Brock, M.E. (2018b). Promoting social connections across environments for students with severe disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 40, 190–195. doi: 10.1177/2165143417737073

In this practitioner-oriented guide, Schaefer and colleagues explain that peer support arrangements in one classroom alone may not produce desired outcomes for students with disabilities in other classrooms and non-academic settings. They provide practical suggestions for how teachers and paraprofessionals can promote peer support and interaction across the schoolday.

• 3. Wehmeyer, M. L. (1995). The Arc’s self-determination scale. Arlington, TX: Arc. Available for download at http://www.ou.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/zarrow/self-determination-assessment-tools/arc-self-determination-scale

This instrument provides teachers, related service personnel, and parents with a tool to assess the degree to which a student with a severe disability is self-determined. The survey-based instrument functions best when input is gathered from multiple stakeholders (e.g., parent or caregiver, teacher, and individual with a disability). Items are scores to produce an overall score and scores for individual subscales, enabling educational teams to set individualized targets for improvement.