Profiles of self-concept, goal orientation, and self-regulation in students with physical, intellectual, and multiple disabilities: Implications for instructional support.
Quick psychosocial profiles let you pick the right support for each disability type.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team mapped how students with disabilities see themselves and set goals.
They looked at three groups: kids with intellectual disability, physical disability, and both.
All students filled out short surveys on self-concept, goal drive, and self-regulation.
What they found
Kids with intellectual disability showed upbeat self-concept and strong goals.
Students with only physical disability scored lower on these same scales.
Those with multiple disabilities had the weakest self-regulation skills.
How this fits with other research
Garrison et al. (2025) later found five stable psychosocial risk profiles in youth with ID. Their work extends these 2011 patterns by showing the profiles stay the same for a year.
Soenen et al. (2009) used a similar cluster method only on mild ID. The 2011 study widened the lens to mixed severity and added goal orientation.
Leonard et al. (2022) shifted the focus to quality-of-life profiles. They kept the same profiling idea but swapped the measure, proving the method works across domains.
Why it matters
Use quick profile tools at intake. Match supports to the pattern you see: boost self-regulation lessons for kids with multiple disabilities, confidence builders for those with physical disability, and higher-level goals for students with ID. Re-check each semester; profiles stay stable so you can track real growth.
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Run a five-question self-concept and goal card sort with your next student and pick one matched support to add to the session plan.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present study explored physical self-concept, goal orientation in sport, and self-regulation in regard to a motor task, in 75 secondary students with physical, intellectual, and multiple disabilities, who were educated in the same special education units. It was found that students with intellectual disabilities generally presented a positive profile in all three psychosocial constructs, whereas students with physical disabilities presented low scores in most measures. Students with multiple disabilities did not differ essentially from students with intellectual disability in regard to physical self-concept and goal orientation; however, they compared unfavorably to them regarding self-regulation. The delineation of a distinct and defendable profile of self-concept, goal orientation, and self-regulation for each disability group allows the formulation of proposals for the implementation of appropriate instructional programs for students belonging to the above mentioned categories.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.01.054