Understanding practitioners’ needs in supporting self-determination in people with intellectual disability.

Abstract

Self-determination has been acknowledged as a critical construct for people with intellectual disability (ID) given the benefits its promotion entails toward an enhanced quality of life. To better determine how to efficiently and sustainably promote self-determination for people with ID across contexts, an in depth exploration of practitioners needs in supporting self-determination urges. The main aim of this study was thus to approach practitioners' perspectives about self-determination promotion at all systems that influence human functioning. Four focus groups interviews were conducted with 30 professionals working with people with ID and thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the data obtained. Results illustrated both participants' perceptions of the facilitators or barriers in promoting and supporting self-determination and were organized according to the systems framework. The close relationship among systems that influence self-determination promotion is further discussed and future research directions are outlined stemming from the implications of this study. Public Significance StatementThis study approaches the needs, obstacles, and facilitators of practitioners working toward selfdetermination promotion of students or adults with intellectual disability. As such, this knowledge has the potential to inform institutions and support providers about ways to improve and facilitate practitioners' practices to better support and provide further opportunities for self-determination expression.

Mejora de la autodeterminación y la calidad de vida en adultos con necesidades generalizadas de apoyo

“…La familia y los profesionales de atención directa se configuran como agentes principales de apoyo al desarrollo de la autodeterminación (Vega et al, 2020;Grigal et al, 2003). No obstante, si bien los profesionales reconocen la importancia del constructo y son cercanos a su concepción , destacan también que existen barreras para la promoción de la autodeterminación, mencionando las conductas de sobreprotección tanto en el contexto familiar como en otros contextos; la falta de flexibilidad de los horarios y de la organización de las instituciones que no facilitan ajustarse a los objetivos y necesidades de las personas con discapacidad; o, a nivel social, las actitudes negativas (Mumbardó-Adam et al, 2020). En esta línea, existen investigaciones que han estudiado otros factores familiares (i. e., la composición familiar) que también pueden influir en el nivel de autodeterminación de las personas con discapacidad intelectual (Vicente et al, 2018), reiterando la importancia de tener en cuenta los factores contextuales (familiares y organizacionales) en su intervención.…”

An integrative model of self‐determination and related contextual variables in adolescents with and without disabilities

“…At least in the Spanish context, further work is needed to imbue practitioners’ knowledge and practice of this comprehension of self‐determination as composed of these three dimensions for youth to benefit from a complete approach and learning of self‐determination (Vicente, Mumbardó‐Adam, Coma, Verdugo, & Giné, ). In this sense, burgeoning initiatives within the Spanish context are endeavouring to understand the educators needs and barriers when supporting self‐determination development, so as to build effective supports allocation policies (Mumbardó‐Adam, Vicente, Simó‐Pinatella, & Coma, in press), in the light of recent law changes aiming to guarantee that students, either with and without disabilities, are provided with the adequate supports in educational and inclusive contexts.…”

Self-Determination in People with Intellectual Disability: The Mediating Role of Opportunities

“…For this main reason, self-determination must not be understood in isolation of the context where self-determined actions occur, but must instead be comprehended across contexts that can have an impact, influence and be part of self-determination development. The opportunities provided in those contexts may act as catalyzers or barriers of self-determined actions [ 7 ]. As facilitating elements, opportunities provide context embedded situations to put into practice self-determination related skills, which implies evaluating and gauging the appropriateness of engaging in self-determined actions and acting in a self-determined way by navigating challenges as they occur.…”

“…Too often though, people with disabilities are barely provided with enough opportunities in the community [ 10 ], at home or at school [ 11 ]. Professionals working with adolescents, but also with adults with intellectual disability, claim for further opportunities for them to engage in self-determined actions at a microsystem level, but perhaps more importantly, at a macrosystem level as well, to maximize its effect in learning to act in a self-determined manner [ 7 ]. In fact, teaching people self-determination related skills and providing them with opportunities to act in this way in the contexts where they live or develop (e.g., home, school job places, and community) are undoubtedly helpful strategies but still not enough sustainable ones.…”