The Arc of the United States is a national non-profit founded in 1950 by parents who believed that children with intellectual and developmental disabilities “deserve more.” They shared with us this great information on a page of their website called Supporting Daily & Major Life Decisions.
We think it will be beneficial to families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as families of children with other types of disabilities.
Here’s a quote from the resource’s introduction:
“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) must make many daily and major life decisions, just like people without disabilities. These decisions can range from making simple purchases to managing a budget to talking to a health care provider about medical care.”
The Arc points out that there are many ways people with IDD make decisions, both on their own and with support. But a person’s ability to make decisions can change throughout their life.
Having a plan for making decisions and updating this plan regularly is essential. This way, everyone can make the decisions they want.
The Arc’s Center for Future Planning has created free resources to help:
- Learn about decision-making options for people with IDD.
- Understand the myths and limits of guardianship.
- Learn how to make, review, and adjust a decision-making plan throughout a person’s life to maximize their ability to make their own decisions.
If you have questions, email The Arc’s national office at futureplanning@thearc.org.
