Supported Decision Making

Simply put, Supported Decision Making is a way to plan your life and achieve your goals by working with a team of trusted supporters in order to make your own decisions about your future. By using your friends, family members, and professionals, you will better understand the situations and choices you might face when making both simple and hard decisions. Supported Decision Making promotes your ability to be self-determined, have control over your own decisions, and empower you to be more self-sufficient and independent.

Supported Decision Making is not really a new idea. As a matter of fact, you have been learning about this idea for many years. Think back about the words you might have heard like self-advocacy or maybe self-determination. Some of you already might be running your own educational or service support meetings and others may be voicing your opinion to the people who care about you, about the things you want in your life. All of these things have an important role when using the supported decision-making idea.

Help your child create a plan for their future and determine the level of support your child needs. We’ll walk you through areas to consider and choices your child will want to make in their own life.

Choices book
Youth Workbook
For a comprehensive look at transition: Transition from School to Adult Life Handbook

This guide will give you ideas on five different areas of Supported Decision-Making.

“My Voice Counts” was designed and created by the Utah Advocates as Leaders, Self Advocacy Speaker’s Network. The speakers of the network researched and wrote this guide to help self-determined people think about ways in which their voices can be heard when making both simple and hard decisions.