Turning Off the School-to-Guardianship Pipeline: Incorporating Supported Decision-Making Into Special Education

Despite studies showing that students who have more self-determination—those who make more decisions and have more control over their lives—have more successful educational experiences and adult lives, research and scholarship document the existence of a “School-to-Guardianship Pipeline.” There, educational professionals recommend that parents seek guardianship over their children with disabilities, without explaining or exploring other options that may preserve or build their self-determination. This article documents the importance of self-determination to life and educational outcomes for people with disabilities, and summarizes research showing how overbroad and undue guardianship—guardianships that remove more rights than necessary or that remove rights from someone who is able to exercise them independently or with support—can decrease quality of life. Then, the authors show how Supported Decision-Making can serve as an alternative to guardianship and a way to enhance self-determination, and recommend ways to incorporate supported decision-making into special education supports and services.