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ticipants (a) believed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y exhibited/promoted<br />
self-determinati<strong>on</strong>; (b) did not recognize<br />
a disc<strong>on</strong>nect between self-determinati<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> guardianship; <strong>and</strong> (c) had limited underst<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
of guardianship <strong>and</strong> its alternatives.<br />
Ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r finding was that when asked how<br />
families first learned about guardianship, students<br />
<strong>and</strong> parents shared that it was at an IEP.<br />
They shared that a teacher asked “Do you<br />
have a guardian?” when it came to that secti<strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> IEP form. From that point, parents<br />
went to court because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y thought <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y were<br />
supposed to do it <strong>and</strong> began <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> guardianship<br />
proceedings without truly underst<strong>and</strong>ing what<br />
guardian appointments entailed. Parents also<br />
reported that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y found it devastating to state<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir s<strong>on</strong> or daughter was incompetent to<br />
make decisi<strong>on</strong>s. In hindsight, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se parents<br />
questi<strong>on</strong>ed whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r a guardian was actually<br />
needed.<br />
Based <strong>on</strong> a review of guardianship <strong>and</strong> selfdeterminati<strong>on</strong><br />
literature, it was learned that<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re has not been a study that addressed why<br />
some school-aged young adults with developmental<br />
disabilities do not have a guardian<br />
appointed, while o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs do. This current<br />
study, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore, builds <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> previous work<br />
as it provides an underst<strong>and</strong>ing of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> experiences<br />
students <strong>and</strong> families encounter at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
time students with developmental disabilities<br />
reach <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> age of majority <strong>and</strong> guardianship is<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sidered. In a additi<strong>on</strong>, a purpose of this<br />
study was to examine why or why not parents<br />
elected to become guardians, as well as examine<br />
expectati<strong>on</strong>s that those with a full guardian<br />
were less likely to be self-determined <strong>and</strong><br />
experience pers<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>trol than those with<br />
no guardian. Ultimately, it was hoped that<br />
through a case study approach, an in-depth<br />
view to guardianship <strong>and</strong> self-determinati<strong>on</strong><br />
would lead to increased awareness as to what<br />
guardianship is really about, <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> extent to<br />
which a guardian impacts a young adult’s life.<br />
This is <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> first known study that explores how<br />
families, with young adults with similar educati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
experiences <strong>and</strong> special educati<strong>on</strong><br />
school labels, came to very different c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s<br />
about guardianship when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y attended<br />
an Individualized Educati<strong>on</strong> Program meeting<br />
(IEP) <strong>and</strong> it was time for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> parents’<br />
rights to potentially transfer to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir adult<br />
child.<br />
Method<br />
Participants <strong>and</strong> Settings<br />
Kevin <strong>and</strong> Jack, both 21 years of age, were<br />
purposively identified for this study as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y<br />
both (a) had <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> special educati<strong>on</strong> eligibility<br />
label of “moderately cognitively impaired”<br />
based <strong>on</strong> results from IQ assessments, adaptive<br />
behavior scores, <strong>and</strong> <strong>on</strong>set of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> disability;<br />
(b) were over <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> age of 18; (c) were<br />
eligible for services including vocati<strong>on</strong>al rehabilitati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
social security income, Medicaid,<br />
Department of Mental Health - Services of<br />
People with Developmental Disabilities<br />
(DMH); <strong>and</strong> (d) had high levels of parental<br />
involvement. One essential criteria was that<br />
<strong>on</strong>e individual (Jack) had a full (plenary)<br />
guardian, while <strong>on</strong>e (Kevin) did not.<br />
The two young men lived in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same community,<br />
attended <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same high school, <strong>and</strong><br />
had <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same teachers throughout most of<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir schooling. Essentially, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se two young<br />
men had grown up toge<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r, via <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir special<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>, since <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> age of four. The suburban<br />
community where Kevin <strong>and</strong> Jack lived<br />
had a populati<strong>on</strong> of over 40,000. The high<br />
school enrollment approximated 500, where<br />
90% of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> student body was Caucasian. The<br />
school district had a solid reputati<strong>on</strong> for preparing<br />
students for college, <strong>and</strong> also had a<br />
reputati<strong>on</strong> across <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> regi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> state for promoting<br />
supported community living <strong>and</strong> job<br />
experiences for individuals who had developmental<br />
disabilities. The school’s curriculum<br />
emphasis was <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> exp<strong>and</strong>ed development<br />
of Kevin’s <strong>and</strong> Jack’s life skills (e.g., cooking,<br />
cleaning, m<strong>on</strong>ey use) <strong>and</strong> vocati<strong>on</strong>al training.<br />
Particular emphasis was placed <strong>on</strong> teaching<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m to fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r develop <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir self-advocacy<br />
<strong>and</strong> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r related self-determinati<strong>on</strong> skills. At<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> time <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> study began, both were in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />
last year of public schooling where <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y attended<br />
school for two to three hours a day,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n were in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> community – ei<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r working<br />
or recreating.<br />
Both young men, <strong>and</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir parents, had<br />
opportunities for becoming aware of <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> various<br />
transiti<strong>on</strong> services available during <strong>and</strong><br />
after high school graduati<strong>on</strong>. Opportunities<br />
to explore various jobs, opti<strong>on</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> agency<br />
services were available to Kevin <strong>and</strong> Jack, as<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y were for all students who received special<br />
Self-Determinati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> Guardianship / 281