The Importance of Family Involvement for Promoting Self-Determination in Adolescents with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

Self-determination has recently become an important concept in special education and disability services. The concept of self-determination is defined and component skills delineated. Some of the component skills of self-determination may pose particular challenges to people with autism and other developmental disabilities due to the difficulties in communication skills and social relationships experienced by many people in this population. Family involvement is an important variable affecting the development and expression of self-determination in people with autism and other developmental disabilities. Strategies to promote and support parental involvement in self-determination instruction are discussed.