7A - Bethany Quetot- Response to Jennifer Cika

1. What is Self-Determination?

Self- Determination is the ability to make your own decisions in life. Some examples of decisions that you could make include: employment, education, and independent living. Seven components are associated with self-determination. These components are as follows: choice making, decision making, problem solving, goal setting and attainment, self-advocacy, self- management, and self-awareness.  

2. What are Emotional Behavioral Disorders?

Children with Emotional Behavioral Disorders will exhibit an inability to learn that cannot be explained, an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships, shows inappropriate behaviors or feelings in normal circumstances, exhibits a general unhappy mood, and exhibits a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. These traits can be seen externally or internally. Examples of externalizing behaviors would be yelling, temper tantrums, self- harm. Examples of internalizing are depression, eating disorders, and withdrawal.

3. What is the connection between Self-Determination and Transition Planning?

Students need to be involved in their educational and transition planning. This will help students feel more empowered and help them to become more self-determined in their transition planning, and give them confidence to make more decisions in the future.

4. How does a student’s lack of Self-Determination affect their post-secondary education and life outcomes?

        When there is a lack of self- determination, students will have difficulties finding and keeping a           jobs. If they do not develop self- determination skills, they can end up living with their parents,           or in jail, the majority of their lives. If they do go to post-secondary school, their grades and                 esteem are poor.

5. What is one strategy used in building a student’s self-determination?

Personal Futures Planning (PFP) is one strategy to build a student’s self – determination. PFP creates a meaningful, personalized and individualized plan through conversations that show what their desires are and they can map out what they want to do.