It is well established that adolescents with disabilities face significant economic, educational and community-based barriers in their transition to adulthood. The disappointing outcomes for youth with disabilities coupled with growing evidence of the association between self-determination and goal achievement have fueled increasing attention to building youth's capacities to be key change agents in their lives. Self-determination is especially critical for at-risk youth with disabilities, such as those in foster care. Each year, in the Unites States, approximately 20,000 youth “age out” of foster care, typically when they reach the age of 18. Most of these youth begin independent adult life with little or no help from family, few community connections and virtually no financial resources. A significant percentage of foster youth (approximately 40%) experience a disability, and few are prepared for the sudden entry into adulthood--with no support--that emancipated foster youth frequently experience. Thus, it is not surprising that research on the outcomes of youth emancipated from foster care indicate that within five years after discharge, 30 to 40% are homeless, 30% are arrested, 40 to 60% become parents, and 30% receive public assistance. While the transition outcomes of youth who experience both disability and foster care has not been investigated, given the poor outcomes of each group considered independently, it is likely that foster youth who also have disabilities face additional barriers to successful transition.

The purpose of the Making a Life Project is to evaluate the efficacy of a self-determination enhancement intervention on the transition outcomes of foster youth with disabilities. The impact of the intervention will be evaluated with a two-independent group, repeated measures methodology. One hundred and forty-four youth with disabilities, ages 17, will be randomly assigned to either a comparison group that receives typical supports offered by the ILP or to an intervention group that participates in ILP services that incorporate enhanced instruction in self-determination skills, exposure to self-direction opportunities, and coaching in the application of self-determination skills to achieve personal transition goals. Outcomes, including youth self-determination, engagement in desired career areas and, educational participation and achievement, and independent living, will be assessed pre-intervention, at the conclusion of intervention, and at 18 months post-intervention.

The project will be implemented by Portland State University Regional Research Institute, in collaboration with Oregon Department of Human Services, Portland Public schools and other key partners. The project will be the first study to experimentally evaluate the impact of self-determination enhancement on the transition outcomes of foster care youth with disabilities. For more information about the My Life project please contact Sarah Geenen (503-725-9604; geenens@pdx.edu ) or Laurie Powers (503-725-9605; powersl@pdx.edu).