Choosing and choice making are not the same: Asking “what do you want for lunch?” is not self-determination

Abstract

Promoting choice making has become an important focus of disability services and supports and a basic component in service delivery. Although much of the choice making literature has involved demonstrations that individuals with intellectual and severe intellectual disabilities can be taught to make choices, limited research exists on the types of choices individuals make and the extent to which these choices are supported. Further, input about choice making has ostensibly been obtained from service providers or support personnel and not from consumers themselves. This study examines input provided by consumers with varying support needs, served in different types of employment programs, on the choice-making opportunities they were provided, if their choices were supported, and if they thought choice making was important, among other questions. The implications of the findings are discussed.