Living with support in the community: Predictors of choice and self‐determination

Abstract Ensuring that people with intellectual disability experience typical levels of choice and self‐determination has become an essential objective for quality disability services. Three perspectives on self‐determination were identified in the literature: psycho‐educational, ecological, and socio‐political. Personal characteristics, specific self‐determination competencies, and environmental variables all were found to be associated with choice and self‐determination. Living environments that were smaller and more individualized were linked to greater choice and self‐determination. The theoretical perspective investigators applied to the issues influenced approaches to research and intervention, and differences in emphasis were evident regarding the relative importance of self‐determination competencies and environmental factors. MRDD Research Reviews 7:91–98, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.