Developing Student, Family, and School Constructs From NLTS2 Data

The purpose of this study was to use data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS2) to (a) conceptually identify and empirically establish student, family, and school constructs; (b) explore the degree to which the constructs can be measured equivalently across disability groups; and (c) examine latent differences (means, variances, and correlations) in the constructs across disability groups. Conceptual analysis of NLTS2 individual survey items yielded 21 student, family, and school constructs, and 16 were empirically supported. Partial strong metric invariance was established across disability groups, and in the latent space, a complex pattern of mean and variance differences across disability groups was found. Disability group moderated the correlational relationships between multiple predictor constructs, suggesting the key role of disability-related characteristics in understanding the experiences of youth with disabilities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Exploring Student, Family, and School Predictors of Self-Determination Using NLTS2 Data

This study conducted secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) to examine the degree to which student, family, and school constructs predicted self-determination outcomes. Multi-group structural equation modeling was used to examine predictive relationships between 5 student, 4 family, and 7 school constructs developed from NLTS2 data and self-determination outcomes (autonomy, psychological empowerment, and self-realization) across disability groups. The pattern of predictive relationship between the constructs and self-determination outcomes across disability groups was complex. Only one construct—self-concept—showed a positive predictive relationship with all three self-determination constructs across most disability groups. Implications of the complex pattern of findings for research and practice are discussed

Exploring Essential Characteristics of Self-Determination for Diverse Students Using Data From NLTS2

This study explored the impact of race/ethnicity on three of the four essential characteristics of self-determination—autonomy, self-realization, and psychological empowerment—directly assessed in the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. Specifically, the impact of race/ethnicity was examined with six disability groups established in previous research: high incidence disabilities (learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, speech language impairments, and other health impairments), sensory disabilities (visual and hearing impairments), cognitive disabilities (autism, multiple disabilities, and deaf-blindness); intellectual disability, traumatic brain injury, and orthopedic impairments. Measurement equivalence was established across groups, but significant differences in the latent means, variances, and covariances were found suggesting a complex pattern of differences based on race/ethnicity within disability groups. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Going beyond Environment to Context: Leveraging the Power of Context to Produce Change

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.This article discusses the processes and implications of going beyond environment to context. The article (a) provides an operational definition of context; (b) describes a multidimensional model of context that views context as being multilevel, multifactorial, and interactive; (c) describes how conceptual models of quality of life, human rights, and human functioning can be used in conjunction with the multidimensional model of context to identify opportunities and develop context-based change strategies that improve quality of life, human rights, and human functioning outcomes; and (d) describes a four-step approach to leveraging an understanding of context to produce change. The article concludes with a discussion of the advantages of and barriers to moving beyond environment to context

Supports Provided to Students with Severe Disabilities in Inclusive Schools: Lessons Learned from Schools Implementing Inclusive Practices

The purpose of the present study was to investigate practices that support the inclusion of students with severe disabilities in the learning and social activities of inclusive K-8 schools to inform inclusive school reform research and practice. Eighteen K-8 students with severe disabilities in six schools recognized for their implementation of inclusive practices were observed in a variety of school settings and activities. An appreciative inquiry lens was applied to these observations. The observation records were descriptively analyzed and organized around seven themes related to the practices used by the schools to support students with severe disabilities: (a) the teaching arrangement (who was providing instruction); (b) the type of engagement the student demonstrated during the activity; (c) the types of general classroom supports that were available during the observations; (d) the types of student supports that were provided to the student during the observation; (e) the type of work or activity the student was performing; (f) the interactions the student had with others; and (g) the choices provided the student. Findings provide information on the implementation of inclusive education for students with severe disabilities by reflecting contemporary best practices for inclusive education as well as identifying areas of need.SWIFT Center produced the data for this paper under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Grant No. H325Y12000

Exploring Personal and Environmental Characteristics that Predict Self-Determination

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The original publication is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09362835.2013.802231.This study examined the degree to which multiple personal (age, gender, disability, and need for educational support) and school environment characteristics (hours in academic classes with general education peers, hours in nonacademic classes with age-peers, attendance at the most recent individualized education plan [IEP] meeting, transition goal for the future on the IEP, and experience with setting goals for the future) predicted student's relative level of self-determination. Age, disability label, hours in academic classes with general education peers, and goal setting experience were significant predictors, accounting for 22% of the variance in self-determination scores. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Applying the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction to the Psychotherapeutic Context for People with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

The Self Determined Learning Model of Instruction is an evidence-based intervention for supporting self-directed goal setting and problem solving. Traditionally, the SDLMI has not been applied in the psychotherapeutic context, however we propose that the SDLMI is an approach that could be integrated into such a context to support self-determination, goal setting, and goal attainment. In this paper, we specifically focus on connections between the SDLMI and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and how the approaches can be used jointly, during psychotherapy to support teens and young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to set, work towards, and reach goals. Implications for future research and practice are discussed

Increasing Play and Decreasing the Challenging Behavior of Children With Autism During Recess With Activity Schedules and Task Correspondence Training

This article examines the effects of a teacher-implemented playground intervention consisting of activity schedules and task correspondence training on the challenging behaviors and play of three school-age children with moderate to severe autism. Researchers used a multiple-baseline design across participants to evaluate the intervention effects. Results indicated that each of the participants learned to use an activity schedule to follow a schedule of play activities and demonstrated improved play. Moreover, challenging behavior decreased for two participants during the intervention and remained at low levels for the third participant. The findings from this study provide support for the use of activity schedules and task correspondence training to reinforce appropriate play and decrease challenging behaviors during recess.Educatio

A cross-cultural comparison of the self-determination construct in Italian and American adolescents

The functional theory of self-determination (fSDT) defines and operationalises self-determination within a human agentic context. It emerged from research on adolescents with disabilities, however has been increasingly applied to youth without disabilities. While comparability has been evaluated in youth with and without disabilities, it has not been explored across cultures. The purpose of this study was to explore the cross-cultural comparability of the fSDT in a sample of Italian and American adolescents. We were specifically interested in examining the universal aspects of the self-determination construct, as well as specific differences in the operationalisation of self-determination across cultures. The findings tentatively suggest that the construct of self-determination is comparable across Italian and American adolescents; however, there are specific differences in the measurement and operationalisation of self-determination across cultures. Directions for future research are discussed