Given that self-knowledge is recognized as a key component of self-determined behavior, intentionally teaching students with learning disabilities (LD) about their identified disability can create conditions needed for future self-determined behavior. In the following article, action steps are provided that are useful for fostering development of…

Art therapy group can facilitate professional and self advocacy efforts to increase awareness of eating disorders. Imagine Me Beyond What You See art competition was the catalyst for the development of an art therapy group to raise awareness for eating disorders and body image by reimagining a mannequin. Participant testimonials demonstrate how…

For education to be a means of social transformation that is equitable for all, including students with disabilities, it is important for educators to understand and infuse student's multiple social identities and culture into educational planning and preparation for life. Intersectionality theory is a way to understand inequities by acknowledging…

How might identity and identity politics inform music teachers' practices and assumptions about disability? In this article, we engage in a critical discussion about how music educators might respond to disability. This article is presented in three parts as a collaborative dialogue between the two authors, using the landscape of identity politics…

Self-determination refers to a person's ability to have control of their life choices, decisions, and interactions with others. Self-determination skills include: 1) decision-making, 2) goal setting, 3) self-awareness, 4) problem-solving, 5) self-advocacy, 6) self-monitoring, and 7) self-efficacy. Researchers suggest that youth with or at-risk for…

"Autism at-a-Glance" is a series of practitioner and family-friendly documents created by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD (CSESA) designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents with ASD. The purpose of the "Autism at-a-Glance"…

Historically, individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) were limited in the amount of assets that they could earn. However, the enactment of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014 provided for significant increases in the amount of earnings and savings allowable. Many of these individuals are capable of saving money and…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) supports educators with disabilities including faculty, teacher candidates, and teachers in classrooms, schools, and institutions of higher education. Many educators with disabilities have learned resiliency, overcoming adversity to succeed academically. However, without appropriate support this is often…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) supports educators with disabilities including faculty, teacher candidates, and teachers in classrooms, schools, and institutions of higher education. Many educators with disabilities have learned resiliency, overcoming adversity to succeed academically. However, without appropriate support this is often…

"Self-Determination" concept is based on the simple assumption that human beings ought to be in a position to intrinsically influence their life outcomes. The concept as well avails people with the right to control positive life outcomes by managing the Decisions and Choices they make. Typically, the concept revolves around the approach…

The author argues that, by revolutionizing the literary canon, we are revolutionizing the English classroom, and urges us to shift from focusing exclusively on required texts to equally acknowledging the urgent need for consciousness and activism from our students.

There are limited school counseling resources that address the unique post high school transition issues faced by students with High-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HASD). While many school counselors have excellent skills in assessment, advising, and career planning, it is worthwhile to expand these to include working with students with…

Black adolescents are confronted with ongoing social barriers that affect their academic motivation. School counselors can improve the educational landscape for Black adolescents by employing advocacy competencies in their schools. In this article I describe a brief psychoeducational group that can be used to teach self-advocacy skills to Black…

Fifth grade students with learning disabilities receive a ten-week unit on learning styles and the special education process as part of their transition to the middle school. Developed by a learning center teacher and guidance counselor, the program is derived from the literature on self-determination and from the work of Mel Levine. The…

"Talking Stones" is an interview technique that is designed to support self advocacy, particularly for groups of disaffected school students whose views may be difficult to elicit. It has been developed and refined to incorporate a view of learners as active agents in their own learning and is compatible with reflective practice and a…