Supported decision-making is a process where a person seeks support to make life decisions yet retains self-determination over their decisions. Supported decision making can be an alternative to guardianship arrangements that can take away rights. All people need supports when making decisions that are difficult or risky for them. Supports can include other people, technology, or community services. Supports can also help you to grow in your decision-making abilities.

Supported Decision-Making in Research

In research, we describe supported decision-making “as a personalized process that changes over the life course and involves an array of supports that are based on, at any given point in time, the person’s abilities and environmental demands for decision making.”  The attention that supported decision-making is receiving throughout the world is in recognition of changing views of disability that:

  • Enable people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to remain at the center of decision-making processes in their lives, and
  • Contribute to enhanced self-determination and quality of life for people with disabilities.

What is Supported Decision-Making?

“Supported decision-making means you can call upon your circle of support to make decisions.”

“The decisions you make should depend on what’s important to you.”

-Ben Edwards, Assistant Researcher

How Can Families and Trusted Supporters Support Decision Making?

Some ways others can support decisions are:

  • Creating opportunities for decision making,
  • Presenting information in an understandable way,
  • Thinking through different options,
  • Communicating a decision,
  • Learning from the outcome of a decision.

How Do You Use Supported Decision-Making?

“I have people by my side to give me the right prompts and explain a little more about what might happen or won’t happen.”

– Skylar Schwindt, Self-Advocate

 

“We work as a team.”

– Robyn Herzog, Self-Advocate