Self-Determination Interventions' Effects on the Academic Performance of Students with Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Federal laws mandate that students with cognitive disabilities receive instruction in academic skills and also support the importance of teaching self-determination. The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize intervention research examining effects of self-determination interventions on academic skills for students with cognitive disabilities. Findings indicated that the majority of self-determination interventions affected skills that directly support academic performance (e.g., organization of academic assignments); however, traditional academic skills such as math productivity and spelling accuracy were also positively affected. The review included analysis of the strength of results, research design quality, and discussion of implications for researchers and practitioners.