Supported Decision Making (SDM)
Supported decision making (SDM) is one alternative to guardianship. It a tool that allows people with disabilities to make their own decisions and build their own lives with support from a team of people they choose. A person using SDM can select trusted advisors, such as friends, family members, or professionals, to serve as supporters, who agree to help the person with a disability understand, consider, and communicate decisions, giving the person with a disability the tools to make her own, informed, decisions.
Where to Start?
- When Do I Want Support? (ACLU)
- Guardianship Laws in Indiana
- Supported Decision Making in Indiana (Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities)
- Exploring Decision-Making Supports (LifeCourse Tool)
- Top 7 Things to Know About Supported Decision-Making (Indiana Disability Rights Network)
- Supported Decision-Making: Protecting Rights, Ensuring Choices (Jonathan Martinis)
- Making Healthcare Choices: Perspectives of People with Disabilities
- Supported Decision-Making: 5 Reasons to Re-Think Guardianship
- Supported Decision-Making: What Supported Decision-Making is and Why It Matters
- Supported Decision Making, an Alternative to Conservatorships
- What’s Next: A Self-Advocate’s Guided Tour through Transition for Parents and Other Supporters
Sample Supported Decision-Making Agreements:
- ACLU Supported Decision-Making Agreement
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network Supported Decision-Making Agreement
- Nonotuck Resource Associates and Center for Public Representation Supported Decision-Making Agreement
- Authorizations to Share Medical and Educational Records (California-based)
Services of Entitlement
Select a Category:
It may be challenging for families, caregivers, individuals with ASD, and others to navigate support systems and services. In order to best support individuals, families, providers, and communities statewide as they learn to navigate life with ASD or a related disability, HANDS in Autism© together with the NeuroDiagnostic Institute and IIACC partners reached out to organizations and asked directors and professionals to share about the noted service or program they oversee or facilitate in order to support awareness of, access to, advocacy for, and/or navigation within as individuals, families, and teams statewide are connected. Hear what they had to say below.
Category: Advocacy
IN*SOURCE
Special Education Parent Support
Indiana 211
Connecting you with professionals in mental health & addiction, health care, housing assistance, tax assistance, food & clothing, education & employment, and more
Category: Education
The Indiana Education Scholarship Account Program (INESA)
INESA, managed by the state treasurer’s office, will allow eligible parents/guardians to establish an education scholarship account (ESA) that can be used for their child’s education expenses.
Category: evaluation
Indiana Dept. of Education and Indiana IEP Resource Center
Video Series: Simulated Intake for Parent Referral for Preschool Evaluation
Category: Savings
Indiana ABLE
INvestABLE Indiana helps individuals save, while preserving their SSI and Medicaid.
Category: Pre-ETS
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Employment services program for Indiana students in transition (ages 14-21) and adults with disabilities
The Arc of Indiana
On oversight of delivery of Pre-Employment Transition Services
Category: Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
Indiana VR Services by The Arc of Indiana
What to expect with VR
Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services
This short video describes the VR process, eligibility, and the services VR can provide if you need some help to learn new skills, find a job, or start a career.
Autism Acceptance Month
To develop the Autism Acceptance Month this April, we have created a number of autism-related resources and information about events around the State!
Autism Awareness Month Zoom Backgrounds
Use one or more Zoom backgrounds at your event! Add your evets to the Zoom background!
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1. Download TBA Submit your event by 03/20 |
2. Download | 3. Download |
Autism Awareness Facts for Social Media
Build awareness and acceptance by sharing facts about autism spectrum disorder via your social media networks.
| 1. Download | 2. Download | 3. Download | 4. Download |
Videos From Autism Science Foundation Annual Day of Learning
Videos From Autism Science Foundation Annual Day of Learning
The Day of Learning at the Autism Science Foundation (ASF), is a TED-style science conference that brings together leading autism researchers to present new findings to members of the autism community. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Day of Learning was held virtually. Over 800 people from across the world took part in the event.
Below are links to recorded presentations paired with ways to learn more on topics on the INformation Network website.
Do We Need New Terms for Autism? – Dr. Catherine Lord – School of Medicine at UCLA
Dr. Lord called for a new term: “profound autism.” Announced publicly for the first time at the Day of Learning, the term is intended to help individuals with the highest level of needs gain access to appropriate services and to increase research participation by this understudied subpopulation.
Read More: What is ASD?
Autism Research in 2020: What Do We Know? What Do We Need? – Dr. James McPartland – Yale Child Study Center
Dr. McPartland explains that many of the advancements made this year amid the pandemic will benefit individuals on the autism spectrum long after the current crisis is over.
Read More: About the Diagnosis, What is Evidence-Based?
Developing Personalized Social Interventions for Adolescents with Autism – Dr. Matthew Lerner – Stony Brook University
Dr. Matthew Lerner explained how he and his team are moving toward an “evidence-based menu” of interventions to develop social skills in adolescents with autism, which will allow families to take more targeted actions to improve outcomes.
Read More: Transition
Is ABA Passe? – Dr. Melanie Pellecchia – University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Pellecchia outlined some of the historic problems of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and showed how increased knowledge of childhood development has significantly improved the practice in recent years, with a greater emphasis on fun, play-based therapy sessions and a de-emphasis on “teacher-led, didactic” sessions.
Read More: Applied Behavior Analysis
Research on Adults with Autism in Natural Settings – Dr. Vanessa Hus Bal – Rutgers University
Dr. Hus Bal argued that while support for adults with autism often focuses on the transition to adulthood and associated milestones, there is not enough being done to provide adults with ongoing support throughout their lives.
Read More: Adulthood and Aging
Robots as Autism Therapy Partners – Dr. Brian Scasselatti – Yale University
Dr. Scassellati demonstrated the powerful effect that robots can have as autism therapy partners and explained what parents should look for in evaluating these solutions.
Read More: Technology