Self-Determination Lesson Plan Starters

The following references are for data-based research studies in which students or adults were taught a new self-determination skill or set of skills. Lesson plan starters have been developed based on the description of the intervention and data collection procedures provided in each study.

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Each lesson plan starter includes

  • Lesson objectives
  • Setting and materials
  • Lesson content
  • Teaching procedures
  • Evaluation methods
  • If a published curriculum is referenced in the lesson plan, the cost and contact information for the curriculum are also provided

The list of lesson plan references.is below.

Reference Self-Determination Skill(s)
Teaching people with disabilities to recruit help to attain personal goals. Rehabilitation Psychology, 36, 31-41 Help-recruiting (self-advocacy skills)
Bambara, L. M., & Ager, C. (1992). Using self-scheduling to promote self-directed leisure activity in home and community settings. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 17, 67-76. Developing and implementing self-scheduling
Bowman, O. J., & Marzouk, D. K. (1992). Using the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 to empower university students with disabilities. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46, 450-456. Obtaining accommodations guaranteed under ADA
Browder, D. M., Cooper, K. J., & Lim, L. (1998). Teaching adults with severe disabilities to express their choice of settings for leisure activities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 33, 228-238. Choice-making using communicative labels
Browning, P., & Nave, G. (1993). Teaching social problem solving to learners with mild disabilities. Education and training in Mentla Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 28, 309-317. Social problem-solving skills
Castles, E. E., & Glass, C. R. (1986). Training in social and interpersonal problem-solving skills for mildly and moderately mentally retarded adults. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 91, 35-42. Interpersonal problem-solving and social skills
Foxx, R. M., Faw, G. D., Taylor, S., Davis, P. K., & Fulia, R. (1993). 'Would I be able to…?' Teaching clients to assess the availability of their community living life style preferences. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 98, 235-248. Preference and choice making
Jerman,S.L., Martin, J. E., Huber Marshall, L., & Sale, R. P. (2000). Promoting self-determination: Teaching goal attainment with the take action process. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 23, p. 27-38. Attaining daily IEP goals
Hughes, C., & Rusch, F. R. (1989). Teaching supported employees with severe mental retardation to solve problems. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 22, 365-372. Solve work related problems
Sievert, A. L., Cuvo, A. J., & Davis, P. K. (1988). Training self-advocacy skills to adults with mild handicaps. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21, 299-309. Discriminating whether or not legal rights have been violated
Durlak, C. M., Rose, E., & Bursuck, W. D. (1994). Preparing high school students with learning disabilities for the transition to postsecondary education: Teaching the skills of self-determination. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27, 51-59. Teach Students to 1)state the specific nature of their disability 2)tate the impact of their disability 3)identify accommodations 4)identify strategies for arranging accommodations
Fullerton, A., & Coyne, P. (1999). Developing skills and concepts for self-determination in young adults with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 14, 42-52. Self-knowledge about autism, communications, and goal setting
Abery, B., Rudrud, L., Arndt, K., Schauben, L., & Eggebeen, A. (1995).  Evaluating a multicomponent program for enhancing the self-determination of youth with disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic, 30, 170-179. Component skills of self-determination.
Adelman, H. S., MacDonald, V. M., Nelson, P., Smith, D. C., & Taylor, L. (1990).  Motivational readiness and the participation of children with learning and behavior problems in psychoeducational decision making.  Journal of Learning Disabilities, 23, 171-175. Participation in Decision Making
Lesson plan based on: Artesani, A. J. & Mallar, L. (1998).  Positive behavior supports in general education settings: Combining person-centered planning and functional analysis. Intervention in School and Clinic, 34, 33-38. Person-centered planning
Belifore, P. J., Browder, D. M., & Mace, C. (1994).  Assessing choice-making and preference in adults with profound mental retardation across community and center-based settings.  Journal of Behavioral Education, 4, 217-225.

Choice-making and preference
Bregman, S. (1984).  Assertiveness training for mentally retarded adults.  Mental Retardation, 22, 12-16. Teaching Assertiveness
VanReusen, A. K. & Bos, C. S. (1994). Facilitating student participation in individualized education programs through motivation strategy instruction. Exceptional Children, 60, 466-475. Teaching students to participate in their IEP.
Wehmeyer, M., & Lawrence, M. (1995). Whose Future is it Anyway? Promoting student involvement in transition planning. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 18, 69-83. Enabling students to assume a more meaningful role in the transition planning process.
Everson, J.M., & Zhang, D. (2000).  Person-centered planning: Characteristics, inhibitors, and supports.  Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 35, 36-43. Personal Futures Planning
Ezell, D., Klein, C. E. & Ezell-Powell, S. (1999).  Empowering students with mental retardation through portfolio assessment: A tool for fostering self-determination skills.  Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 34, 453-463. Empower Student Through Portfolio Development
Hoffman, A., & Field, S. (1995). Promoting self-determination through effective curriculum development. Intervention in School and Clinic, 30, 134-141. Teaching  self-determination to secondary school students by emphasizing skills that prepare them for the expectations of the next environment.
Hughes, C., Hugo, K., & Blatt, J. (1996).  Self-instructional intervention for teaching generalized problem-solving within a functional task sequence.  American Journal on Mental Retardation, 100, 565-579. Teaching generalized problem-solving within a functional task sequence to students with disabilities.
Malette, P., Mirenda, P., Kandborg, T., Jones, P., Bunz, T. & Rogow, S. (1992).  Application of a lifestyle development process for persons with severe intellectual disabilities: A case study report.  Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 17, 179-191. Using the Lifestyle Development Process to change the social and activity patterns for students with severe disabilities.
Miner, C.A., & Bates, P.E. (1997).  The effects of person centered planning activities on the IEP/transition planning process.  Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 32, 105-112. Increasing parental and student involvement in transition planning and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings.
Mithaug, D. E., & Hanawalt, D. A., (1978).  The validation of procedures to assess prevocational task preferences in retarded adults.  Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 11, 153-162. Assessing the prevocational task preferences of students with severe mental retardation whose communicative and behavioral deficits prohibited the use of commercially available interest tests.
Arean, P., Nezu, C.M., & Nezu, A.M. (1991). Assertiveness and problem-solving training for mildly mentally retarded persons with dual diagnoses. Research in Developmental Disabilities 12 387-399.  Teaching social problem solving and assertiveness skills.
Nietupski, J., Hamre-Nietupski, S., Green K., Varnum-Teeter, K., Twedt, B., LePera, D., Scebold,K., & Hanrahan, M. (1986). Self-initiated and sustained leisure activity participation by students with moderate/severe handicaps. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 21, 259-264.  Teaching students to self-initiate and sustain leisure skill participation using a choice training procedure.
Nozaki, K., & Mochizuki, A. (1995). Assessing choice making of a person with profound disabilities: A preliminary analysis. The Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 20, 196-201.  Assessing the leisure-activity preferences of persons with profound mental retardation.
Powers, L.E., Turner, A, Westwood, D., Matuszewski, S., Wilson, R. & Phillips, A. (2001). TAKE CHARGE for the Future: A controlled field-test of a model to promote student involvement in transition planning. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 24, 89-104. Promoting student involvement in transition planning.
Rietveld, C.M. (1983). The training of choice behaviours in Down’s Syndrome and nonretarded preschool children. Australia and New Zealand Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 9, 75-83. Teaching choice-making to preschool students with Down’s Syndrome.
Schleien, S.J., & Larson, A. (1986). Adult leisure education for the independent use of a community recreation center. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 11, 39-44.  Teaching student with severe mental retardation how to use a community recreation center (choice-making).
Sigafoos, J., Roberts, D., Couzens, D., Kerr, M. (1993). Providing opportunities for choice-making and turn-taking to adults with multiple disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 5, 297-309.  Teaching choice-making and turn-taking to students with multiple disabilities.
VanReusen, A.K., Deshler, D.D., & Schumaker, J.B. (1989). Effects of a student participation strategy in facilitating the involvement of adolescents with learning disabilities in the individualized educational program planning process. Learning Disabilities, 1(2), 23-34. Teaching adolescents to use self-advocacy procedures during the IEP conference.
Phillips, P. (1990). A self-advocacy plan for high school students with learning disabilities: A comparative case study analysis of students’, teachers’, and parents’ perceptions of program effects. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 90,466-471. Simulating the transition from parent advocacy to self-advocacy by providing the student with practice in assuming responsibility for planning and decision making.
Parsons, M.B., Reid, D.H., & Green, C.W. (1998). Identifying work preferences prior to supported work for an individual with multiple severe disabilities including deaf-blindness. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 23, 329-333.  Assessing vocational preferences of an individual with profound mental retardation, as well as deafness and blindness.
Powers, L.E. & Turner, A. (in press). A controlled field test of TAKE CHARGE: A multi-component intervention to promote adolescent self-determination. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals Teaching students self-determination skills (self-efficacy, empowerment, psycho-social adjustment).
Prater, M.A., Bruhl, S., & Serna, L.A. (1998). Acquiring social skills through cooperative learning and teacher-directed instruction. Remedial and Special Education, 19, 160-172. Teaching social skills (listening, problem-solving, and negotiating) in cooperative learning groups using teacher-directed instruction for students with disabilities.
Aune, E. (1991). A transition model for postsecondary bound students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities and Research, 6, 177-187. To prepare students with learning disabilities for transition to postsecondary education.
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