The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction and Students With Extensive Support Needs in Inclusive Settings.
SDLMI turns old self-instruction tricks into a classroom-ready routine that boosts student-chosen goals.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Payne et al. (2020) wrote a narrative review. They looked at the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction, or SDLMI.
The authors focused on students with extensive support needs in inclusive classrooms. These students often have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
The paper argues SDLMI is evidence-based and ready for everyday classroom use.
What they found
The review says SDLMI can build self-determination skills. These skills include setting goals, making plans, and checking progress.
The authors claim SDLMI works as a universal support. That means every student in class can use it, not just those in special-ed rooms.
How this fits with other research
Orum Çattık et al. (2026) extends this idea. They tested SDLMI with teens who have autism. The teens learned to pick and keep real-life skills like cooking or bus riding.
Green et al. (1987) and Roberts et al. (1987) are early ancestors. They showed self-instruction boosts accuracy in both adults and kids. SDLMI now packages those old ideas into a full lesson plan.
van Timmeren et al. (2016) used video self-instruction with autism/ID teens. Their focus on tech and generalization pairs well with SDLMI’s push for real-world use.
Why it matters
You can roll SDLMI into any class routine. Start with a short goal-setting sheet. Let students pick goals that matter to them. Add brief daily check-ins. The review and newer single-case work say this keeps skills and cuts prompt dependency.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
There is a strong link between the development of skills associated with self-determination (i.e., choice-making, decision-making, problem solving, goal setting and attainment, planning, self-management, self-advocacy, self-awareness, and self-knowledge) and positive school (e.g., academic achievement) and postschool (e.g., employment, community access) outcomes. In this article, we advocate for an examination of research related to the impact, usability, and cultural sustainability of an evidence-based intervention intended to enable students to enhance skills associated with self-determination, the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI), when used to support students with extensive support needs, including students with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). Theoretical foundations of the construct of self-determination and its applicability for all people and extant research on implementation of the SDLMI and students with extensive support needs are presented. Implications for researchers are addressed, including the impact, usability, and cultural sustainability of the SDLMI for students with extensive support needs, and the potential of the SDLMI to support all students in inclusive settings when implemented as a universal support.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-58.1.82