Using Locus of Control to Improve Self-Determination and Outcomes for Consumers with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Vocational rehabilitation, consumer empowerment, and self-determination are key factors in the underlying philosophy of rehabilitation today, and a major emphasis in the provision of rehabilitation services. Consumers with learning disabilities face several specific obstacles in achieving desired rehabilitation goals. In order to provide rehabilitation counselors with a unique resource to help their clients assume control of their own rehabilitation plan, social learning theory and locus of control are examined. Specifically, two locus of control instruments are suggested for use with rehabilitation consumers who have learning disabilities. One instrument, the Academic Locus of Control Scale (ALOC; Trice, 1985) is appropriate for college-bound individuals, and the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (ANS-IE; Nowicki & Duke, 1982) is appropriate for non-college bound individuals. The purpose of this article is to provide the rehabilitation counselor with a tool that can help connect the consumer's control of their rehabilitation plan to their perceptions of everyday events. This tool may help stimulate and maintain an internal locus of control by challenging inaccurate perceptions of control consumers may have toward commonly occurring events.