#supported decision making

[anautistic]

Alicia, AAC user and autistic advocate, talks about Supported Decision Making.

[nonspeakerlibrary]

Legal Capacity and the Right to Communicate | I-ASC

Legal capacity and the right to communicate are important for every nonspeaker. Communication is a fundamental human right.

Nicolas Joncour, a nonspeaking law student from France, on guardianship and the legal rights of nonspeakers.

[autisticadvocacy]

“Family members often decided where the person with I/DD would live, but people with I/DD want to be involved in this decision.”

[awn-network]

NCD undertook this report to foster a greater understanding of guardianship within the context of disability law and policy; to examine the treatment of people with disabilities within the legal system that establishes guardianship; to examine the use of alternatives to guardianship such as supported decision-making; and to make recommendations that will help align the use of guardianship and decision-making alternatives with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with particular focus on the integration mandate.

[autisticeducator]

My primary doctor almost always asks…

…why I'm with my mom and I'm not at work when my mom comes to see her. (Yes, my doc pretty much knows my life story). My mom is neurodivergent too (dyslexia, anxiety, seasonal depression and I am pretty sure there might be at least one more but it's hard to tell exactly what). Big doctor words confuse the living heck out of my mom. Now our primary has learned to avoid using big doctor words with patients but she still uses them with her scribe (and I am super nosey and like to know what exactly is going on). Most doctors we run into haven't quite figured out how to not use big doctor words with patients. So I come along to play doctor translator and boy do doctors pick up on this because they start talking more to me and less to her. Personally, I don't like that. They still need to talk to her. I'm just here to interpret what they're saying to her in words she can actually understand. I also come along because we know that anything that affects my mom's health could have a potential genetic factor and I could be at risk for developing it too. That is something I kinda need to know about. Also, with my dad potentially developing dementia and knowing so much about my mom's health, if she were to need a power of attorney to start making her medical decisions for her, she'd likely pick me over my brother. I would prefer a supported decision making setup, and hopefully New York will have such a thing when the time comes that she may need it. I don't like the idea of stripping someone's agency completely away if it can be avoided.

[autisticadvocacy]

Using Supported Decision Making with your Doctor: Frequently Asked Questions for Persons with Disabilities

Check out this resource about supports that help people with disabilities make decisions about our own health care.

[autisticadvocacy]

SDM means helping a person understand, make, and communicate her own decisions, without the need for the restrictions and inflexibility of conservatorship

“Families are often unaware of potential complications of conservatorship or the alternatives available to support their loved ones. The following materials present an overview of concerns about the current conservatorship process.”

[autisticadvocacy]

The Right to Make Choices: International Laws and Decision-Making by People with Disabilities

Are you a person with a disability? Do you have a right to make choices in your life? Are you under guardianship? Does your guardian make ch

Are you looking for alternatives to guardianship? Learn more about supported decision making!