What is Supported Decision Making?
It lets people with disabilities choose supports to make decisions and exercise their legal rights. With an SDM agreement, the person chooses a trusted friend, relative and/or other to help them understand and make decisions, and to communicate decisions to, for example, doctors and the bank.
- People who use SDM do not need someone to make decisions for them. They just need help working through the decision-making process to make decisions for themselves.
Some examples of supports you can choose include extra time to discuss choices, role playing with alternative outcomes, use of assistive technology, and having a support person to take notes and help the person discuss their options.
- There is no one-size-fits-all for SDM. Agreements will look different based on your needs and abilities.
Learn more about SDM here.