I'm Determined website I'm Determinded Toolkit

As Transition Coordinator, my goal is to promote school and community experiences that will develop student skills related to self-determination. Individuals who are Self-Determined are more likely to set goals and take the necessary steps to achieve them. Self-determination is defined by Weymeyer and others as, "acting as the primary causal agent in one's life and making choices and decisions regarding one's quality of life free from undue external influence or interference" (Wehmeyer, 1992a; in press b). The four actions believed to represent self-determination; 1. The individual acts autonomously

2. The behaviors are self-regulated

3. The person initiates and responds to event(s)

4.The person acts in a self-realizing manner

(Weymeyer, in press a; Wehmeyer, Kelchner & Richards, 1994) Refer to the Arc Self-Determination Scale file for references on Self-Determination.

Skills related to the development of Self-Determination:

• Choice-making

• Decision-making

• Problem-solving

• Goal-setting and attainment

• Self-observation, evalution

• Internal locus of control (internally rather than externally motivated)

• Positive attributions of efficacy and outcome

• Self-awareness

• Self-knowledge

Refer to the Arc Self-Determination Scale file for references on Self-Determination.