RFA: Choice-Making Among Youth Ages 3-11

At every age, children can make choices in their homes, schools, and communities. For children with disabilities, having regular opportunities to make choices helps them learn about their preferences, build confidence, and develop a sense of independence. While it can sometimes feel risky for parents and caregivers to step back and allow children to make their own decisions, even when mistakes are possible, those experiences are an important part of learning and growth. 

Choice-making is a skill that develops through practice. Something as simple as choosing a game to play, selecting an activity, deciding what to wear, or expressing a preference can help children learn that their opinions matter and that their choices have value. These opportunities can also lead to stronger communication skills as children learn to express their wants, needs, interests, and goals in ways that work for them. 

When families, schools, and other supportive people in a child’s life intentionally create opportunities for choice-making, they provide a safe environment for children to experience both successful and unsuccessful decisions. Children learn that making mistakes is a natural part of learning and that they have trusted adults who can help them reflect, problem-solve, and try again. Over time, these experiences help children build the confidence, responsibility, and self-determination needed to take a more active role in decisions that affect their lives. 

By introducing and supporting choice-making at an early age, families, teachers, siblings, and other supporters can help children develop the skills they need to become self-determined adults who are better prepared to make decisions about their education, employment, relationships, and community participation. 

Project Goals

• Identify and implement age-appropriate, evidence-based strategies to teach choice-making in children ages 3–5 and 6–11.  

• Demonstrate how development of choice-making skills contributes to self-determination at home, at school, and in the community.  

• Create replicable models and educational tools for families, educators, and service providers in both rural and urban settings.  

• Develop training materials and resources that parent advocacy organizations and school systems can adopt to expand access to skills training. 

The project should include strategies to develop choice-making skills across a variety of communication styles and support needs. This requires understanding how each child communicates preferences, decisions, and interests with family members, educators, and others in their support network. For example, some children may need additional time to process options before making a choice. Others may benefit from visual supports, verbal prompts, assistive technology, or alternative and augmentative communication strategies. Training should incorporate methods to identify and understand each child’s unique communication approach and help families and educators tailor instruction and supports. 

Suggested Project Structure:  

• Plan and implement choice-making strategies with children ages 3–5 in both rural and urban settings.  

• Continue support for the 3–5 cohort and expansion to children ages 6–11, with a focus on goal setting, self-monitoring, and peer interaction.  

• Evaluate outcomes, refine tools, and develop a replicable model for broader use.  

Target Populations

Key Activities

• Partner with parent advocacy organizations to recruit and support families. 

• Collaborate with school districts to understand and document the structures and practices of IEPs. 

• Develop and test tools such as choice-making charts, daily routines, and IEP-aligned goals. 

• Collaborate with other community providers (early childhood, healthcare, and others) to demonstrate choice-making skills in daily life.  

• Collect data on skill development and practices at home, school, and other community settings. 

Collaborators

In addition to the collaborators and partners already mentioned in this RFA, the grantee may also involve an expert in developmental medicine, developmental psychology, or a similar field to guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational goals and activities.   

Letter of Support  

Applicants must submit a letter of support from an educational partner that is committed to supporting the demonstration of choice-making skills for participating students. Letters of support may be provided by an early childhood service center, an individual school, a school district, an Education Service Center, or another entity within the education system that will actively support project implementation and student participation.  

Expected Outputs and Outcomes

• A model for teaching choice-making skills to children ages 3–11: Develop or adapt a model for teaching choice-making skills to children ages 3–11, including instructional methods, activities, and guidance for implementation. 
• A toolkit of strategies and resources for families and educators: Develop or adapt a toolkit that includes practical strategies, activities, and resources for families and caregivers to support children’s choice-making skills. 

• Documentation of learning and skill-building education and training in both rural and urban contexts: Document the number of children who participate in choice-making activities and assess changes in their knowledge, confidence, or demonstrated use of choice-making skills using appropriate measures. Track the number of training activities, participants reached, participant type, and geographic areas served. Documentation of learning and skill-building education and training in both rural and urban contexts. 

• Documented examples of children who have practiced choice–making activities. 

• Story collection such as videos, photos, or drawings from children and families who benefited from the project. 

• Recommendations for integrating choice-making into IEPs and transition planning. 

• A final report, along with resources and materials for use by advocacy groups and educational institutions. 

Funding, Duration, and Application Deadline

The anticipated total amount of federal funding available for this RFA is $300,000 per year for one organization. Funding is available for up to three years. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Monday, Dec. 7, 2026.  

How to Apply

To submit an application, please fill out the RFA Application Request form.

Submitting this form does not mean you have to apply for funding, and it is not a letter of intent. We use the information you provide only to give you access to the application. After you submit your request, you will receive an automated email with a link to the Request for Applications (RFA) and a unique access code.

Important Information:

• Check your spam or junk folder if you do not receive the email within a few minutes.
• Submit only one request per RFA. Sending multiple requests may delay your access to the application.
• Need help? Contact us at apply@tcdd.texas.gov if you have trouble with the form or do not receive the automated email. Please allow one to two business days for a response from TCDD staff.

Applications must be submitted online. To learn more about the application process, who is eligible to apply, the evaluation process, and more, visit our How to Apply webpage. 

Please email questions about this RFA to apply@tcdd.texas.gov by Wednesday, Dec. 2. TCDD will post answers to questions on this webpage on a regular basis until Friday, Dec. 4.