Assessment of the Self-Determination of Spanish Students with Intellectual Disabilities and other Educational Needs.

Efstratopoulou et al. (2012) gave a Spanish self-determination scale to high-schoolers. Some kids had intellectual disability or other special needs. Some had no label.

They wanted to see who scored lower and if different disability groups differed.

Students with special needs scored much lower on every part of the scale. Kids with ID and kids with other needs looked the same—both groups were behind.

Peers without labels scored higher across the board.

Mumbardó-Adam et al. (2018) later showed the scale itself is fair. Only five of forty-five items favored one group over another, so the tool is not the problem.

Anonymous (2019) repeated the study in Spain and the U.S. and found the same gap. Their cross-country data extend Maria’s warning: lower scores travel with ID, not with language or place.

Sasson et al. (2022) offer a fix. They let teens with ID redesign well-being items using pictures and simple words. Their work shows students can self-report if we adapt the format.

You now know the score gap is real and not a flaw in the Spanish scale. Plan lessons that teach choice-making, goal setting, and problem solving. Use visuals, one item per page, and three-point scales so students can show what they know. Track progress each quarter to see if skill-building closes the gap Maria first measured.