Increasing the Involvement of People with an Intellectual Disability in Choice Making Situations: A Practical Approach

Abstract

This paper describes a participant observation approach to exploring choice making by people with an intellectual disability in three different home settings‐‐a private family home, a community group home and an independent living situation. It identifies some of the factors which affect choice making, including experience at making choices, routines, the role of support people, and communication. The paper illustrates these factors with examples from the different settings. Finally, it provides practical suggestions for service providers to increase the involvement of people with an intellectual disability in choice making situations.