The Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report American Sign Language Translation.

Research literature and community narratives both emphasize the importance of self-determination in the lives of deaf youth. This paper describes the development, initial validation, and potential applications of a translated measure of self-determination for deaf youth, the SDI:SR ASL Translation (SDI:SR ASL). A sample of 3,309 young people who completed the SDI:SR, of whom 392 were deaf, was used in this validation study. Results provide preliminary support for the use of SDI:SR ASL with deaf youth. Findings also indicate that deaf youth who take the SDI:SR ASL score more similarly to youth without disabilities taking the SDI:SR than youth with disabilities. The SDI:SR ASL can be an important tool for researchers and practitioners to better understand self-determination among deaf youth and facilitate continued development of self-determination skills.

An Initial Investigation of the American Sign Language Version of the Self-Determination Inventory.

Self-determination is a potential predictor of in-school and postschool success, yet it has not previously been examined in youth and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The present study used a cross-sectional survey design to examine the reliability and validity of the American Sign Language (ASL) version of the Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report (ASL SDI:SR) and to develop an understanding of mean self-determination strengths and areas of need in a sample of youth and young adults who were DHH; 221 participants completed the ASL SDI:SR, including individuals representing each type of educational setting and each type of communication mode. The component with the highest mean score was psychological empowerment; the lowest mean score was for self-realization. The findings showed that the ASL SDI:SR produced reliable scores. Implications for future practice and research are discussed.

Friendships and Self-Determination Among Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Friendships and self-determination are two factors that positively influence success in school and adult life. Examining the relationship between these two constructs among a sample of students who were deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), the researchers used the Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report (Shogren, Wehmeyer, Burke, & Palmer, 2017) to measure the level of self-determination of 29 students ages 13-17 years who were DHH. The researchers then used two self-report measures to probe students' quantity and quality of friendships, and conducted an analysis to determine whether the quality and quantity of friendships correlated with the self-determination of the students. Significant correlations were found between self-determination and both the quality and quantity of friendships among the study sample (p < .01). The findings support those of previous studies indicating that autonomy and social networks are related.