A primary objective of each of the educational programs at the secondary level is the preparation of students for the challenges that await their after school. Whether the students prepares for further education at postsecondary institutions of learning or enter directly into the workforce, the establishment of a solid foundation for leading independent lives is a critical part of becoming autonomous and productive society members. Transiting successfully from secondary school demands that the learners assume more prominent positions in life and educational planning (). This process happens naturally for most students as a product of their daily living. However, a number of the students are faced with more difficult challenges as their try to transit successfully to postsecondary life.
Compared to their peers who do not have disabilities, students with disabilities such as emotional issues have a higher tendency of dropping out of school, reduced rates of postsecondary school participation, higher unemployment and underemployment levels, reduced rates of community and civic participation, as well as higher incarceration rates (). It is also useful noting that students who suffer from emotional disabilities experience lower rates of schooling success compared to others in any other subgroup that have or do not have disabilities (). For such reasons, self-determination is a critical element of postsecondary transition in such students. Specifically, self-determination relates to the development of a belief that someone is capable of controlling his or her own destiny (). The fact that students with emotional disabilities are faced with numerous challenges likely to affect their effective transition from secondary schools means that self-determination is a critical issue. Therefore, the objective of this essay is to present a detailed literature review of the strategies and skills that could be used to enable a successful postsecondary transition.
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Literature Review
Self-determination concerns a combination of abilities and attitudes that lead individuals into setting their goals as well as to take the initiative to attain the set goals. In this case, the process concerns being in charge, but does not necessarily concern independence or self-sufficiency. It is also important to understand that self-determination is defined in both organizational and individual skill levels (Wehmeyer, 2004). Hoffman and Field (1994) further provide a conceptual self-determination framework. According to Hoffman and Field, the conceptual self-determination framework is founded on a foundation of valuing and understanding oneself. Furthermore, Hughes, Agran, and Wehmeyer (2008) offer twelve component skills that are critical for the emergence of the behavior of self-determination in individuals. Specifically, problem-solving, choice-making, self-knowledge, self-awareness, internal locus of control, and self-advocacy are among the twelve component skills. College-going students that have disabilities identify the indicated behaviors as fundamental to their success in post-secondary educational development (Getzel and Thoma, 2005).
Extant literature on self-determination indicates that the undertaking became a critical element of services of transition planning of the federal government following its first inclusion in the 1992 and 1998 Rehabilitation Acts as well as the 1990 and 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Acts (). Since then, the definition of self-determination inside the context of the preparation of the youth with disabilities to manage their future has been an issue of serious focus, research, and demonstration undertakings for some time. For instance, Test, Fowler, and Kohler (2009) conducted a correlational research in which they identified seventeen evidence-based predictors of elevated post-schooling outcomes in three groups, independent living, education, and employment. The researchers noted that higher levels of self-determination and self-advocacy were associated significantly with a higher likelihood of postsecondary education. This result is of fundamental significance in relation to the well-developed connection between improved employment outcomes and education among people with disabilities (Dowick and Stodden, 2001).
Studies on student transition for individuals with disabilities as well as the post-schooling outcomes have continued to move the special education field towards evidence-based practices. In this case, evidence-based practices are considered as those that are founded on through designs of research, have profound success records for the improved of learner outcomes, and have gone through systematic review processes that use quality indicators in the evaluation of the evidence levels (Mazzotti et al., 2013).
Studies that have been conducted within the psychology field on the self-determination field appears to support the notion that self-determination attributes are beyond biological factors, but are also functions of a wide variety of reactions of individuals to social environments (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Such a reason self-determination is a combination of specific and individual environments, which encompass the expression and development of self-determination. For instance, in research scrutinizing people’s inherent motivations, the overall feel of the specific environments such as the classrooms or homes, can hinder, or promote the individuals’ sense initiative and choice (Ryan & Deci, 2008).
The field of special education is required to deal with the preparation needs of individuals that have disabilities and their postsecondary transition, which is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act. As a part of the Act, states around the US are needed to report the post-schooling outcomes of learners with disabilities who have been absorbed into competitive employment, enrolled in institutions of higher learning, or in other institutions of postsecondary learning, or those that are in other employment arranges following a year after their high school graduation (). Such data is used in the determination of the best programs that would improve the post school outcomes for the same students by local, state, and federal governments.
However, obstacles persist in the transition of learners with disabilities to college. While more learners who have disabilities are transitioning to colleges, they are still more unlikely to have ever been enrolled by such institutions compared to the entire youth population in the nation (Newman et al., 2010). This statistic is not surprising when analyzing the expectations of the students concerning the completion of postsecondary school in future. For instance, only twenty-five percent of the students with disabilities indicated that they would like to complete their postsecondary schooling compared to eighty-nine percent of those who do not have disabilities (Newman et al., 2010). Additionally, what is an equal issue of concern is the fact that as soon as the students with disabilities enroll in college, they do not seek the required services as well as supports through the self-disclosure process for them to receive accommodations. Half of the leaners exiting special programs of education transit to postsecondary education while indicating that they do not believe they live with disabilities (Wagner et al., 2005). The same cited study indicate that another fourteen percent of them understand that they have disabilities but fail to disclose such information. Therefore, as Wagner et al. (2005) argue, only thirty-five percent of the learners with the same disabilities opt to disclose their problems to the colleges.
Several strategies and practices that are university-based, which encourage self-determination for the students with disabilities that are the starting points for the evidence-based practices in the field are in existence. Practices or programs models require undergoing a thorough examination for the determination of characteristics and traits of the leaners with disabilities, which includes self-determination, motivation, and self-advocacy (French, Makward, and O’Neil, 2012). The subsequent paragraphs discuss some of the evidence-based practices contained in existing literature on self-determination that institutions of postsecondary learning could adopt for usage.
The utilization of faculty or peer programs of mentoring is the first of the approaches to improving self-determination among students with disabilities. In this case, the provision of peer-to-peer mentoring, or the availing of faculty programs of mentoring is not a new idea within the college setting. Colleges and universities have been using such types of programs in the provision of help to students as a way of increasing their chances of staying in school (Getzel, 2008). As concluded by Roberts et al. (2010), evidence-based research is rare to elaborate this program. For such a reason, it is imperative for conduct further studies on the efficacy of this approach to improving self-determination.
Another program that has been adopted for the enhancement of self-determination is the use of education coaches. It is useful understanding that different coaching models have been used in the field of higher education to benefit students who live with disabilities. For instance, in two of the support literature, Finn et al. 2008) and Parker et al. (2011), the students with disabilities discovered that practicing and learning the art of setting goals enabled them to meet the demands of their academic schedule. Specifically, in Finn et al. (2008), it was established that college students who live with disabilities the usage of goal setting formed their routine activities that helped them plan and stick to the same plans. Continuing the identification of studies that deal with strategies used in models of coaching would be useful in assessing the strengths of the intervention as an evidence-based practice.
The third strategy concerns receiving accommodations. In its response to 2008’s ADA Amendment Act, AHEAD (he Association of Higher Education and Disability) created a conceptual model for supporting the provision for receiving accommodations. As indicated in the AHEAD guidelines, there is a better understanding of disability among colleges and practitioners in the special education sector. As much as there a need still exists to improve this program, it is notable that it has contributed significantly in improving self-determination of the leaners with disabilities. The last evidence-based strategy in literature on self-determination strategies is collaboration across campus. As mentioned, the study of the instructional as well as environmental features is a critical element of supporting skills of self-determination. It is important for leaners with disabilities who transit to postsecondary education to have the required skills of self-determination, which the postsecondary education professionals should continue to nurture within this learning environment.
Conclusion
Self-determination is a required for the smooth transitioning of students with disabilities in postsecondary learning. It is identified that even while there are frameworks for the strategies that could be adopted for a smooth transition of the students to such institutions, only so much exists in terms of support evidence-based literature. Of the scanty sources reviewed in this essay, colleges and universities have adopted cross campus collaboration, educational coaches, receiving accommodations, and faculty peer-to-peer programs of mentoring. For such a reason, there is a need for further studies on evidence-based models of self-determination.
References
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Field, S., & Hoffman, A. (1994). Development of a model for self-determination. Career development for exceptional individuals , 17 (2), 159-169.
Getzel, E. E. (2008). Addressing the persistence and retention of students with disabilities in higher education: Incorporating key strategies and supports on campus. Exceptionality , 16 (4), 207-219.
Getzel, E. E., & Thoma, C. A. (2008). Experiences of college students with disabilities and the importance of self-determination in higher education settings. Career development for exceptional individuals , 31 (2), 77-84.
Mazzotti, V. L., Rowe, D. A., Cameto, R., Test, D. W., & Morningstar, M. E. (2013). Identifying and promoting transition evidence-based practices and predictors of success: A position paper of the Division on Career Development and Transition. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals , 36 (3), 140-151.
Newman, L., Wagner, M., Cameto, R., Knokey, A. M., & Shaver, D. (2010). Comparisons across Time of the Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities up to 4 Years after High School. A Report of Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). NCSER 2010-3008. National Center for Special Education Research .
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Pingry O'Neill, L. N., Markward, M. J., & French, J. P. (2012). Predictors of graduation among college students with disabilities. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability , 25 (1), 21-36.
Roberts, K. D., Park, H. J., Brown, S., & Cook, B. (2011). Universal design for instruction in postsecondary education: A systematic review of empirically based articles. Jo urnal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 24(1), 5-15.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist , 55(1), 68-78.
Stodden, R. A., & Dowrick, P. (2001). Postsecondary education and employment of adults with disabilities. American Rehabilitation , 25(3), 19-23.
Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., Garza, N., & Levine, P. (2005). After High School: A First Look at the Postschool Experiences of Youth with Disabilities. A Report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Online submission .
Wehmeyer, M. L. (2004). Self-determination and the empowerment of people with disabilities. American Rehabilitation, 28, 22-29.
