Self-Determination

Contact the organizations listed for information on obtaining the following resources:

  • Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 1-800-638-3775
    P.O. Box 10624, Baltimore, MD 21285

    • Self-Determination Across the Life Span: Independence and Choice for People with Disabilities, edited by Deanna J. Sands & Michael L. Wehmeyer. (1996). This book recognizes that self-determination is one of the building blocks of independence for people with disabilities and explores the theoretical, developmental, and practical aspects of decision making.
    • Self-Determination and Trust: My Experiences and Thoughts, by Michael J. Kennedy. (1996). In this book chapter the author discusses how he defines self-determination, how important trusting relationships are in self-determination, and how the service system can support it. In Self-Determination Across the Life Span: Independence and Choice for People with Disabilities, edited by Deanna J. Sands & Michael L. Wehmeyer.

Outside Resources

  • Individualized Funding Information Resources
    This site provides comprehensive information about the development of ways that people with disabilities can gain control over the funds to pay for the supports they need–a crucial step towards self-determination and citizenship.
  • The Self-Determination Synthesis Project
    The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a grant from the Office of Special Education Projects/US Department of Education, is conducting a review and synthesis of the knowledge base and best practices related to self-determination (SD) and self-advocacy (SA) interventions in order to improve, expand, and accelerate the use of this knowledge by the professionals who serve children and youth with disabilities and the parents who rear, educate, and support their children with disabilities.
  • World Wide Web Resources on Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy (.pdf)
    This is a comprehensive bibliography on self-determination and self-advocacy. It contains two sections: references to journal articles, books, instructional materials, and inservice educational material; and a variety of web sites.