Abstract
Students can become self-determined young adults with improved outcomes if they learn the necessary skills early. Participants in this qualitative study were seven teachers of the visually impaired or orientation and mobility specialists and seven teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to gain an understanding of how self-determination skills are being taught to preschool- or elementary-age students with sensory loss and the barriers they face when teaching those skills. The following research questions were addressed in this study: (1) How do professionals who work with elementary-age students with sensory loss teach self-determination skills? (2) How do professionals who work with elementary-age students with sensory loss perceive their role in teaching self-determination skills? (3) What barriers to teaching self-determination skills do professionals who work with elementary-age students with sensory loss perceive? Results from this study show that professionals play different roles when teaching self-determination. Those roles are (a) helping and supporting students to build independence, (b) helping students become more self-aware, (c) facilitating opportunities for students to practice self-determination, and (d) collaborating with parents and other team members. The barriers fall into three broad categories: (a) difficulty collaborating with families, (b) lack of professional understanding of self-determination and how to teach it, and (c) language barriers (for students who are deaf or hard of hearing). Professionals and parents can benefit from starting to teach these skills to students at a younger age because it can make postsecondary transition easier. [The report was published by Lane of Inquiry: Deafblind Education Research & Family Support.]