Home‐Based Opportunities and Self‐Determination in Youth: When Intellectual Disability Shapes the Impact of Context
Araceli Arellano, Cristina Cañete‐Massé, Clara Andrés‐Gárriz, Cristina Mumbardó‐AdamABSTRACT
Background
Home is a key context to foster self‐determination. This study examined whether intellectual disability moderates the relationship between home‐based opportunities to engage in self‐determined actions and self‐determination levels.
Method
Middle and high school students with and without intellectual disabilities (aged 13–22) completed the AIR‐S questionnaire, which evaluates self‐determination capacity and opportunities at home. A moderation model was used to examine the relationship between home opportunities and self‐determination, as well as the moderating role of intellectual disability.
Results
A positive association was found between home‐based opportunities and self‐determination. Although intellectual disability was not a significant direct predictor of self‐determination, once opportunities were considered, it significantly moderated this relationship, indicating that the positive association between opportunities at home and self‐determination became progressively stronger as levels of intellectual disability increased.
Conclusions
Home‐based opportunities play a critical role in fostering self‐determination. Intellectual disability conditions how strongly supportive environments translate into self‐determined actions.