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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 Palmerspalmer@ku.edu

785-864-0270

Denise Postondenisep@ku.edu

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?