Supported Decision Making

As young people with disabilities grow into adulthood, they also grow into many new decision-making responsibilities such as money management, living arrangements, and health care. Growing up and taking charge of your own life is no small task. For many with disabilities, it’s downright challenging. The reasons are as variable as people themselves are. Some disabilities affect mobility, others impact the ability to communicate clearly, or perform the activities of daily living, or plan what needs to be done, step by step.
This is where supported decision-making (SDM) has much to offer. It “allows individuals with disabilities to make choices about their own lives with support from a team of people they choose. We hope the resources below are helpful in learning more about SDM and how it can be used to give people with disabilities a “voice and a choice” in how they live their lives.