Guardianship and the Potential of Supported Decision Making With Individuals With Disabilities

Guardianship is a complicated legal concept, which is further complicated by differences from state to state in the framing and implementation of distinctly different forms. Few professionals explain the long-term consequences of obtaining guardianship or provide the range of alternatives available to support an adult with disabilities. This study reports descriptive data from a national survey on guardianship and people with disabilities. The results indicate that regardless of who provides information about guardianship, and regardless of disability classification, full guardianship is consistently discussed most frequently while other options are rarely discussed. We describe implications for practice and provide recommendations. Specifically, supported decision making is described as one potential alternative to legal guardianship that, according to these data, is the least frequently discussed with parents, but which has the potential to avoid many of the legal and social pitfalls that guardianship presents. Limitations and current research needs are described.