Supported decision making for people with developmental disability

Supported decision making involves the provision of support needed by a person with developmental disability to enable them to participate in decision making. Supported decision making upholds the human rights of people with developmental disability, and is the preferred alternative to a substitute decision maker in all states and territories. Support may come from health professionals, support workers, family members, carers and others, and can include communication modifications, additional information resources and time to consider options. In Victoria, legislation enables a person (including a child who has decision-making capacity) to appoint a specific person as their support person.

The support person’s role is to help the adult or child make, communicate and act on their medical treatment decisions or to represent the person’s interests in relation to their medical treatment. Support people do not have the power to independently make a person’s medical treatment decisions unless they are also appointed to be a ‘medical treatment decision maker’.

Check your state or territory for specific legislation.

In some states, disability advocacy agencies can provide support to an adult to understand and make their own decisions.