Abstract
The importance of promoting and enhancing the self-determination of children and youth with disabilities has received increased attention over the past 15 years. Although transition-aged students were the primary focus of early research on self-determination, more recently, increased attention has been directed toward understanding the development of self-determination in young children with disabilities. Families play a critical, yet understudied, role in this process. The purpose of this article is to explore what existing research suggests about the role of families in the development of self-determination in young children and, in doing so, provide direction for future efforts to support and involve families in self-determination research and practice.