Table 2.

Participant responses to QOL and SD interview questions

QOL definition	Factors related to QOL	SD definition	Contributors to SD	Whether/How QOL/SD Connected
“How enriched and fulfilling your life is.”	Family, friends, recreational activities,talking to people	“You are able to be determined in everything you do… your drive to achieve.”	Interest, motivation	Yes - “You need to be determined and to reach your fulfillment.”
“How you enjoy life and get the best out of life.”	Sports teams, friends, family, school, and being independent	“Knowing you can do that and not letting other people say you can’t do that and not giving up and always trying your best.”	Guidance counselors, teachers, educational assistants	Yes - “You have more options.”
“Making sure that everyone has a good life.”	Parents, food on the table, anything can affect QOL	“To will yourself to get the things that you need to get done done.”	Self-reliance, getting things done, caring for yourself	Yes - “It sets you [up] for what you’re going to do in the future.”
“You live life to the fullest and you never give up.”	Support from friends at school, EA and resource teacher, family, doing well at school	“That one’s self should be determined in whatever they do, whether it’s sports or school or [anything].”	Understand the task, support from teachers, EAs, and friends, hands-on activities	Yes - “Because when you’re free and independent, you feel really good about accomplishing tasks.”
“To be alive.”	More wheelchair accessible places, being human, being loved	“Like I am determined to get out of school.”	Go out on your own	Yes - “Just being freer.”
“Doing the best you can with your circumstances and abilities. And being as, probably, independent as possible and relying on others but not being completely reliant on others.”	How you feel about yourself, how you come off to others, talking with others and having a good laugh, doing well in school/learning new things, being able to take the transit…gives independence	“Doing the best you can do at a task or something you want to do in life, sort of without giving up. Even if you have to do it differently than others, or it takes you longer, as long as you sort of did it yourself with, like minimal involvement of others, like not having to rely on others.”	Support for what you want to do from family, friends, and people at school, school resources	Yes - “If you have a sense of accomplishment that you’ve done things yourself, you’re probably going to have this perception that your quality of life is a lot better.”
“Waking up and feeling happy…Having a sense of purpose…also having a job that I feel serves people, or animals, or something like that.”	Having a good support team, talking with teens through similar situations, writing	“Being determined, like not backing down. Standing up for what you want, and what you need as a person.”	Self-confidence, having people believe in your goals, having people help you achieve your goals, not being afraid to ask for assistance, accessing care	Yes - “because as my self-confidence went down, my ability to be self-confident went down as well.”
“How a person lives…if they are in a wheelchair or if they can walk like you and I.”	Mom and Dad, IEP at school	Did not know	Buy a house on your own, able to keep up your own house	Yes - “Because you are able to do more things.”
“How satisfied you are with living.”	Being able to do what you like to do, a job you enjoy, friends, family, access to basic necessities, level of education, resources to go farther with learning	“Being motivated to achieve your goals.”	Motivation, interest, being able to express opinion, being able to live independently	Yes - “If I’m not motivated…I sort of stagnate I guess.”
“It makes me feel good.”	Friends, getting out, shopping, family, family dog, new walker	Did not know	Computer, accessible sink, exercises to make hand stronger, automatic garage door	Yes - “Because I like to try to be as independent as possible.”
“The value of your life and how much you think you are enjoying your life, or how good your life is for you.”	Friends, learning, parents, knowledge, health	“One’s willingness to do what they can to be all they can be. To strive through any situation, be it good, bad, ugly.”	Willpower, make your own food, pay your own rent, transportation	Yes - “You need to have self-determination in order to improve yourself and improve the circumstances around you for you to have a quality life.”
“What you do in life.”	Friends, family, a good job	“To have enough confidence to be yourself.”	Myself as a person, mother, learning from siblings	Yes - “You don’t want other people to influence who you should be.”
“To go do more better things with my life, living on my own.”	Eating healthy, grooming and hygiene, being nice to people, friends, family, eating out, nice bed to sleep in	Did not know	Making decisions and setting your mind, communicating with others	Yes - “Independency is like a number one priority for me.”
Did not know	Go see hockey, friends, help other people	Did not know	Having choices	Did not know
“Be a useful person and be happy.”	Away from parents, independence, hang out with friends, getting a high job	“I make my own choices.”	Freedom from parents, help from people, places that can help you work on getting an apartment	Yes - “I can make my own choice of what I think I’m good at.”

QOL quality of life, SD self-determination, Definitions of QOL/SD and answers to how they are connected are verbatim quotes; factors related to QOL and contributors to SD is summarized information pulled from the transcripts