Self-determination skills and opportunities of adolescents with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Gardner et al. (2009) asked the teachers and 41 parents about teens with severe intellectual disability.

They used simple rating scales to measure three things: what the teens knew about making choices, what they could actually do, and how sure they felt about it.

The teens were 12-18 years old and attended special-education schools.

Teachers said the teens had very little self-determination skill.

Parents agreed opportunities existed at home and school, but they rated their children's abilities higher than teachers did.

Both groups saw the same world, yet they scored the same kids differently.

Berástegui et al. (2021) extends this work by adding the teens' own voices. When youth with ID rated themselves, they scored their self-determination higher than both parents and teachers.

DiStefano et al. (2020) explains why these gaps happen. Standard tests often floor-out for severe ID, so low scores may reflect test limits, not true ability.

Cryan et al. (1996) reminds us that choice-making itself is possible for this group. Their review shows people with severe disabilities can learn to pick preferred items when tasks are adapted.

Before you write low self-determination goals, collect at least three views: teen, parent, and teacher. Use simple choice probes and real tasks like picking lunch or leisure items. If scores clash, adapt the assessment before you adapt the student.