Michael L. Wehmeyer

Brian H. Abery

Roger J. Stancliffe

Karrie A. Shogren

This book examines choice and preference in the lives of people with disability, focusing on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an overview of choice and examines foundational concepts related to choice and preference, including self-determination and supported decision making. Chapters examine a range of critical service and policy issues, such as guardianship, individualized funding, the health care system, and the situation regarding choices for people with disability in international contexts. In addition, chapters explore issues ranging from the development of preference and choice in childhood to choices in older age and end of life matters. It provides in-depth analysis of particular choices faced at different points across the lifespan. The book concludes with implications for policy and practice. Topics featured in this book include: Supported decision making for adults with intellectual disabilities or acquired brain injury. The role of parents and families in the development of choice-making skills. Preference assessments for individuals who cannot tell us what they prefer. Employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Sexual and reproductive rights for people with intellectual disabilities. Disability and the choice to become a parent. Choice, Preference, and Disability is an essential resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, therapists, and other professionals as well as graduate students in the fields of developmental and positive psychology, rehabilitation, social work, special education, occupational, speech and language therapy, public health, and healthcare policy.

Promoting Self-Determination Across the Lifespan

Choice, Preference, and Disability

Dennis E. Mithaug

This text provides a comprehensive overview of three theoretical perspectives proposed during the past decade addressing the self-determination construct as it applies to the field of special education. The three models were selected primarily because they have focused on defining and categorizing self-determination for all students with disabilities, including students with mental retardation and other cognitive disabilities. These models are intended to provide students and practitioners a solid grounding in self-determination theory. All models have been evaluated among students with cognitive disabilities but are applicable to all students with or without disabilities. The authors research each model and have applied their own theoretical framework to special education, ensuring that interventions to promote skills like problem solving, goal setting, decision making, and self-advocacy are in place for all students. By reading this text, the reader will gain a solid, theoretically based foundation in understanding the self-determination construct which ultimately supports the development of instructional interventions that enable students with disabilities to become self-determined. It will be useful as a text in upper undergraduate and graduate courses in special education, psychology, social work/welfare, general education, vocational rehabilitation and disability studies.

Brian H. Abery

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