Papers by Susan B. Palmer
Development of Self-Determination Through the Life-Course
Although self-determination is associated with adolescent development, the antecedents and precur... more Although self-determination is associated with adolescent development, the antecedents and precursors of its development lie within the development of foundational skills during the early childhood years. Adolescents become self-determined as they learn, refine, and practice knowledge, skills, beliefs and actions that enable them to respond to contextual and environmental challenges (opportunities, threats) that energize basic psychological needs and resultant autonomous motivation, stimulating a causal action sequence in which volitional and agentic actions are mediated by action-control beliefs, resulting in experiences of causal agency. This chapter explores the early development of foundational skills that enable children to make choices and express preferences, solve problems, engage in making decisions, set and attain goals, self-manage and self-regulate action, self-advocate, and acquire self-awareness and self-knowledge.
Abstract: This article reports afollow-up study of school leavers with mental retardation or lear... more Abstract: This article reports afollow-up study of school leavers with mental retardation or learning disabilities who were surveyed 1- and 3-years after they left school to determine what they were doing in major life areas (employment, independent living or community integration). Students were divided into two groups based on self-determination scores collected during theirfinal year at high school. Comparisons between these groups on outcomes at I and 3 years post-graduation indicate that students who were more self-determined fared better across multiple life categories, including employment and access to health and other benefits, financial independence, and independent living. Over the last decade there has been consider-able focus in special education literature on the importance of self-determination in the education of students with disabilities. Due largely to the federal emphasis on and fund-ing for promoting self-determination as a component of transition services for y...
This article provides teachers with practical tips and ideas about how self-monitoring works in c... more This article provides teachers with practical tips and ideas about how self-monitoring works in conjunction with goal-setting strategies to support students to set and achieve different types of academic goals. In addition, specific examples of academic goals and self-monitoring forms are provided to give teachers an example of such goals. To provide teachers with practitioner-oriented information about how to use these strategies, practical tips and ideas are addressed in the following sequence: (a) how to support students to set school-related goals, (b) how to support students to develop action plans for student-set target goals, (c) how to create a self-monitoring sheet that matches the self-set goals, and (d) how to evaluate the targeted goal.
Education and training in autism and developmental disabilities, 2015
Building foundational skills in the early years for the later development of self-determination i... more Building foundational skills in the early years for the later development of self-determination in adulthood for individuals with disabilities is important in the United States, but little research has been conducted to examine whether these skills are as important in other countries. In this phenomenological study, seven family interviews were conducted to understand how foundational skills for self-determination (choice making, self-regulation, engagement) were perceived and promoted by families of young children with disabilities in China. This study indicated that these skills were also valued in China. However, Chinese families emphasized the need to develop these three skills in the context of an emphasis on dependence and obedience in accordance with its collectivist culture. They used the popular Chinese parenting practice of guan to help their children make choices, regulate themselves according to li, and engage in educational study, which is highly valued in Chinese cultu...
This study explores family-professional partnerships in a Head Start and considers how an interve... more This study explores family-professional partnerships in a Head Start and considers how an intervention designed to address needs of young children through joint efforts by families and Head Start teachers may influence those partnerships. The site in this study exemplifies Head Start’s commitment to family partnership, making it a suitable setting for a case study. The researcher observed and interviewed three teachers, four family members, and one Head Start administrator. The first research question explored pre-existing attitudes and structures related to partnerships at this Head Start. Three themes emerged: (a) program understanding of family partnership; (b) national performance standards and program administrative structures emphasizing family support and participation; and, (c) local Head Start leadership. The second research question explored the intervention’s influence on this setting’s partnerships and identified four themes: (a) developing shared goals between fam...
Interdisciplinary Journal of Family Studies, 2011
A nationwide survey of family members of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities ... more A nationwide survey of family members of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities was conducted to update the knowledge base concerning technology use by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Survey responses provided information about use of technology for mobility, hearing and vision, communication, independent living, and in the area of computer use. In addition, survey items queried the use of electronic and information technology devices such as use of e-mail, mobile telephones, and digital cameras. This study analyzed the technology needed and/or used by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who lived at home with their family members and considered findings in terms of family supports.
70 The children in Ms. Hunter’s Head Start classroom are fascinated whenever Ms. Winter, the assi... more 70 The children in Ms. Hunter’s Head Start classroom are fascinated whenever Ms. Winter, the assistant teacher, brings Barry, a large bat puppet, out of his cave to help them solve math problems. Sitting on Ms. Winter’s knee, Barry tells the children that he needs their help to fix a hole in his cave (a decorated cardboard and papiermâche creation in the corner of the room). The children inspect the cave and find the hole. Ms. Hunter suggests that perhaps rocks will work to make the repair. Ms. Hunter shows the children a large tray of rocks fairly equal in size and two different-size empty boxes. Barry asks the children questions and reviews vocabulary they might need to talk about the problem: “How will I use the rocks to repair the cave’s hole?,” “How many rocks do you think I need?” Ms. Winter writes the numbers the children predict on a piece of chart paper. “Which is the larger box? Which box is smaller?” Ms. Hunter shows the children how one box fits into the other, and she a...
Development of Self-Determination Through the Life-Course
Causal Agency Theory is an extension of the Functional Theory of Self-Determination; both theorie... more Causal Agency Theory is an extension of the Functional Theory of Self-Determination; both theories describe how one becomes self-determined. These theories have been widely applied in the field of special education, and conceptualize self-determination as a dispositional characteristic (enduring tendencies used to characterize and described differences between people) based on the function given actions serve for an individual. This chapter will introduce and overview Causal Agency Theory, tracing its evolution from the functional model of self-determined behavior and its increasing application to all people, including those with disabilities. Causal Agency Theory will provide an organizational framework for the remainder of the text.
Young Exceptional Children
Vol. 23, No. 2, June 2020 YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN The first bus had arrived and children were ... more Vol. 23, No. 2, June 2020 YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN The first bus had arrived and children were being ushered through the doors of the Ezekial Preschool Center. Teacher Jackson weaved through the usual morning commotion as he made his way to his classroom. He paused to let a few kids pass by and took notice that they were excitedly carrying decorated posters and pictures. Seeing Teacher Maria, Jackson smiled and asked her what was going on, motioning to the Projects. Maria shared that many of the children were returning this month’s Family Projects and they were excited to share with one another what they had done with their families at home. Jackson was intrigued, as he knew that the families of the children in Maria’s class were similar to the families he was trying to forge relationships with in his own classroom. Many of his efforts, however, had left him feeling frustrated as he spent time chasing down missing books he had sent home, trying to get permission for upcoming field trips, or prioritizing communication when there was a concern or something important to share with a family. Jackson also knew that many of the families were busy and needed to focus on other priorities. His thought immediately went to one family in particular whose son, Caden had a heart 782180 YECXXX10.1177/1096250618782180YOUNG EXCEPTIONAL CHILDRENFriesen et al. research-article2018
Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities
Individuals with severe disabilities and their families can engage in person-centered and family-... more Individuals with severe disabilities and their families can engage in person-centered and family-centered planning for aging using a life course view. Viewing aging within the context of the family and disability is essential because many people with severe disabilities depend on their families for supports in daily living, social relationships, and for activities within communities. Since eligibility-based supports are often limited, parents and other family members play large roles both financially and socially in helping their family member move through the life course into active and healthy aging. Charting the LifeCourse is a framework that both people with disabilities and their families can use to achieve desired life outcomes over time. Issues that impact active and healthy aging for people with disabilities include the aging of caregivers, death of a caregiver, limited resources for supporting physical and health concerns, staying active in the community following retiremen...
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Supporting families who have family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD... more Supporting families who have family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as they move through life is a critical need (Reynolds, Palmer, & Gotto, 2018). The phrase, supporting families, juxtaposes the typical family support paradigm in response to the ongoing shrinkage of federal and state dollars and the recognition that parents and caregivers need services and supports to support their family member with IDD at home (Amado, Stancliffe, McCarron, & McCallion, 2013). Within the family support movement, families are defined in the broadest terms, including those living in the same household, people who are affiliated by birth or choice, and others in the role of helping individuals with IDD succeed in life (Reynolds et al., 2015; Turnbull, Turnbull, Erwin, Soodak, & Shogren, 2015).
Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
ObjectivesFoundations for self-determination begin in early childhood for children with disabilit... more ObjectivesFoundations for self-determination begin in early childhood for children with disabilities with the onset of self-regulation and engagement in activities at home, school, and in the community. This article describes the development and preliminary results of an intervention model that encourages collaborative practices for parents and teachers around short-term goal setting to adjust environments for young children with special needs or at risk for delay.MethodsThe Foundations Intervention was used with 48 children in authentic early childhood settings and involved parents, teachers, and a facilitator to enhance children’s self-regulation and engagement at home and school.ResultsResults showed feasibility of the intervention; positive child outcomes in goal attainment, self-regulation, and engagement measures were also evident.ConclusionsWhen parents and teachers communicated about a child’s strengths and needs within routines at home and school, this appeared to strengthen parent and teacher connections and helped children become more engaged or regulated in daily activities.
Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
This study examined the reliability and validity and hypothesized factor structure of two assessm... more This study examined the reliability and validity and hypothesized factor structure of two assessments of self-determination, the Arc’s Self-Determination Scale (SDS) and the American Institutes for Research Self-Determination Scale (AIR) in students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Ninety-five middle and high school students (17% female and 83% male) aged 13 through 21 years participated. Item analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted separately for the SDS and AIR data. Together, the findings of this study suggest that (a) the two measures in this study show reliability and validity in the measurement of global self-determination in students with ASD and (b) the parameter estimates and the model fit statistics support the hypothesized factor structure of both instruments (with light variation for the SDS). Suggestions for future research and implications for educators are discussed.
Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
This study examined differences in self-determination among students with autism spectrum disorde... more This study examined differences in self-determination among students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), students with intellectual disability (ID), and students with learning disabilities (LD). A total of 222 participants with an equal size group for each of the three disability categories were selected to participate in the comparison of total self-determination and domain scores. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was performed on four dependent variables (DVs)/factors, including autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self-realization. The results indicated that students with ASD had significantly lower levels of autonomy compared with students in either other group; that students with ID had significantly lower levels of self-regulation than students with LD, but not significantly different from students with ASD; that students with ASD and students with ID had significantly lower levels of psychological empowerment than students with LD; and th...
Assessment for Effective Intervention
Given the growing importance of support needs assessment in the field of intellectual disability,... more Given the growing importance of support needs assessment in the field of intellectual disability, it is imperative to develop assessments of support needs whose scores and inferences demonstrate reliability and validity. The purpose of this study was to examine the criterion validity of scores on the Supports Intensity Scale–Children’s Version (SIS-C) by identifying the relation of SIS-C scores to those on the Supports Intensity Scale–Adult Version (SIS-A) for youth on the boundary of appropriateness of the two assessments (ages 16–21). Using data from 142 youth who both completed the SIS-A and SIS-C, we found that parallel support need constructs on the two versions of the SIS have strong associations. In addition, there were similar relations between personal competency (i.e., intelligence and adaptive behavior) and support needs measured by the SIS-A and SIS-C. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Journal of Special Education Technology
Promoting student involvement in transition planning and the self-determination of youth with dis... more Promoting student involvement in transition planning and the self-determination of youth with disabilities has become best practice in secondary and transition services. Increasingly, a critical feature of efforts to promote student access to and involvement with curricular content, including transition-related content, has involved the use of universally designed instructional technologies. The extant research does not, however, provide a causal link between efforts to teach skills related to student involvement and self-determination utilizing technology. This study utilized a randomized-trial control group design to examine whether or not the use of cognitively accessible technology would improve outcomes related to self-determination for students receiving instruction in transition planning designed to promote student involvement. We also evaluated the impact, over time, of instruction in transition planning designed to promote student involvement on student self-determination. ...
Handbook of Early Childhood Special Education, 2016
In this chapter we discuss the essential role of science, technology, engineering, art, and math ... more In this chapter we discuss the essential role of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) in the education of all young children in inclusive preschool settings where children with and without disabilities learn together. Effective STEAM instruction for all children occurs when teachers value children’s active engagement in learning and are able to plan and implement activities focusing on STEAM content and processes as well as children’s motivation to learn. We begin by reviewing effective instructional approaches for STEAM in preschool. We discuss the importance of intentional teaching in early education settings, particularly with regard to the needs of young children with disabilities. A focus on intentional teaching leads us to a more comprehensive approach or framework for engaging early educators in systematically planning for support for young children with disabilities. We use our work in Children’s School Success (CSS) (Children’s school success: An experimental study of a school readiness curriculum, Bloomington, IN, 2003) and Children’s School Success Plus (CSS+; Children’s school success: A framework for inclusive education, Baltimore, MD, in preparation) to highlight key instructional strategies for science and math learning in early childhood while also directing the reader to other researches that underlie these points. CSS+ is based on a series of grant-funded projects in which we worked with preschool teachers as research partners to develop and test the efficacy of an integrated comprehensive preschool curriculum framework designed to meet the needs of preschool children at risk for school failure. We developed the CSS+ curriculum framework that we describe in this chapter to guide teachers’ thinking about STEAM activities that support children’s readiness for school learning, especially with regard to needs of children who have or are at risk for disabilities. The classroom in which Cathy, Anna, and Sherry work is revisited throughout the chapter to provide specific examples about how the curriculum framework can be used to develop STEAM activities to support learning for all children. The descriptions of the three preschool teachers and their classroom are based on teachers we came to know through CSS+.
Nhsa Dialog, Feb 25, 2015
This research to practice summarizes the findings of a study of family-professional partnerships ... more This research to practice summarizes the findings of a study of family-professional partnerships in a Head Start. Head Start's commitment to family partnership, makes the program selected an exemplar for positive beliefs about families and the importance of partnership. Using the foundations of self-determination as a context for intervention, intentional interactions and increased understanding of both the teachers and the family members helped the research team better understand if the intervention was feasible in a Head Start setting. This summary includes the methods, findings, and practice implications for the study. Implications include the importance of home and school collaboration to mutually benefit children with special and unique learning needs.
Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Sep 1, 2014
Promoting student self-determination is recognized as a key component of effective transition sup... more Promoting student self-determination is recognized as a key component of effective transition supports and services for youth with disabilities. This study examined differences in teacher perceptions of student capacity and opportunity for self-determination over the course of an academic year based on teacher assignment to a treatment group that implemented the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction or a control group that did not. Separate three-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine if there were any significant differences in teachers' ratings of student self-determination capacity and opportunity based on (a) time, (b) exposure to the SDLMI, and (c) disability category (intellectual vs. learning disability). Findings revealed that there was a significant interaction between time and treatment, however, the interaction between time and disability, and time by treatment by disability interaction was not significant. Results of this study suggest that when teachers are trained and supported to implement the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI) with students with disabilities significant increases in their perceptions of student capacity and opportunity for self-determination occur. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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Papers by Susan B. Palmer