Preparing Families for Age of Majority: Five Considerations

Age of majority refers to when a state legally considers a person to be an “adult.” For young adults with extensive support needs, this is often a time when individualized education program (IEP) teams discuss issues related to student decision-making, guardianship, and alternatives to guardianship. The purpose of this article is to provide IEP teams with considerations to prepare families (i.e., parents and their young adults with extensive support needs) to prepare for age of majority. The five considerations discussed are (a) providing information about guardianship and alternatives, (b) assessing and teaching decision-making skills, (c) practicing supported decision-making, (d) designing opportunities for failure and feedback, and (e) considering the need for emotional support.