A Challenge to Self-Determination: Disagreement between the Vocational Choices Made by Individuals with Severe Disabilities and Their Caregivers

Individuals become self-determined when they are empowered to make choices that match their interests. But caregivers' perceptions of what they think individuals with severe disabilities like often direct vocational decision making. This choice by proxy denies individuals with disabilities an opportunity to become self-determined. We examined whether the vocational choices made by participants with severe cognitive disabilities matched the vocational choices caregivers made on their behalf. Eight participants with severe disabilities and 11 caregivers participated in this study. Caregivers ranked the top three settings, characteristics, and activities from a checklist of typical entry-level positions. By using the Choose and Take Action vocational assessment software, combined with watching or doing the job of their choice in the community, job seekers indicated their preferences. We compared job seekers' cumulative choices to those made by their caregivers. Results indicate that the choices made by individuals with disabilities seldom matched those made by their caregivers. The implications of these findings are discussed.