Current Landscape of Interventions that Promote Self-determination in Adolescents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Secondary Transition: A Scoping Review

Credentials Display

Chia-Yang Chiang, OTD, OTR/L

Tsu-Hsin Howe, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA

Abstract

Purpose: Although promoting self-determination in secondary transition is an important goal when working with adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the conceptualization and definitions of self-determination and its associated skills are not consistent. The aim of this scoping review was to examine how self-determination and its associated skills have been conceptualized and defined in interventions that support secondary transition in adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and how self-determination is operationalized accordingly in those interventions.

Method: Studies published between 2006 and 2021 were searched using databases, including MEDLINE, PubMed, ERIC, PsycINFO, Education Source, and OTseeker. Hand-searching of bibliographies was also performed.

Results: Twenty-eight articles were included in this review. Eighteen articles provided explicit definitions of the term self-determination, which was categorized into four orientations: special education, disability rights advocacy, public health, and psychology. Interventions that support secondary transition in adolescents with disabilities developed under these different orientations were described.

Conclusions: Skills associated with self-determination may vary depending on the definition being used. By gaining a deeper comprehension of the different perspectives on the concept of self-determination in the field of education, occupational therapists can tailor their interventions in a manner that is best suited to the individual requirements of students.

Recommended Citation

Chiang, C., & Howe, T. (2024). Current Landscape of Interventions that Promote Self-determination in Adolescents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Secondary Transition: A Scoping Review. The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy, 12(3), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.15453/2168-6408.2243