Throughout history, the rights of individuals with disabilities to be heard have been unrecognized or overlooked. Long into the 20th century, it was still a common practice for others to make decisions about their interests. In 1972, Nirje emphasized that self-determination should be an entitled right for individuals with disabilities. In order to foster these behaviors in students with disabilities, schools, teachers, and parents must work together to help them learn the skills that lead to self-determination and problem solving. In order to make good choices and decisions, students with disabilities need autonomous experiences (i.e., advocate for him or herself) that facilitate the development of self-determination and critical problem-solving skills. However, they require specific instruction related to self-determination with opportunities to practice the component skills. Students with disabilities who exit the school environment with self-determination skills are more successful in inclusive environments.