Building a future: A study of student participation in person-centered planning

This study used qualitative methodology to understand the participation of young people as they plan for their transition from school to adult life by using a person-centered planning process, specifically Whole Life Planning . Given the dynamic, interpersonal nature of person-centered planning, the study also examined the roles that others play in the process and how facil itators, family members, and other members of the young person's social net work influence the focus person's participation. Findings revealed that stu dent participation ranged from highly active to nonexistent across the obse rved planning meetings. The level of student-participation was influenced b y the student's conversational style, the size of the meeting, the level of abstraction in the planning discussions, and the expectations and behavior s of others.