New Briefs, Video, & Resources about Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights

ICI’s Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights (GATOR) project has published four new resources on alternatives to guardianship for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Guardianship takes away a person’s legal right to make decisions for themselves. Guardianship has many negative effects on the lives of people with IDD. What leads people to consider guardianship?

Two self-advocacy organizations, Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) and Self-Advocacy Association of New York State (SANYS), share strategies and recommendations about alternatives to guardianship in their brief, Preparing for the Transfer of Rights: Taking a Closer Look at Guardianship and its Alternatives. Researchers from MASS and SANYS also presented their findings about why people choose guardianship and how to consider alternatives in this video: Preparing for the Transfer-of-Rights brief.

As youth approach adulthood, parental rights transfer to their adult children. This is called “transfer-of-rights.” How and when parents and caregivers receive information about transfer of rights can impact decisions about their youths’ transition process.

How can parents and caregivers make the most of the transfer of rights process with their youth? When parents view transfe-of-rights as an opportunity, youth can improve their decision-making and leadership skills and have better transition outcomes. Read the latest GATOR brief, Transfer-of-Rights: How Parents, Families, and Caregivers of Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Can Prepare for this Exciting Opportunity to learn what research shows about parents’ and youths’ transfer of rights discussions with schools.

Do you want to learn more about transfer of rights and alternatives to guardianship? Download the MASS and SANYS Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights resource list for youth with IDD and their supporters!