For decades, self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have pointed out that behavior is communication, and all behavior happens for a reason. When people with IDD want help changing our behavior — or more often, when other people want to change our behavior — we sometimes get services called “behavior supports.” What people call “behavior supports” covers a wide variety of services, and not all of these services are truly helpful to people with IDD. How can we move away from services that try to change people’s behavior without understanding what people are thinking and feeling? What would it take to create behavior support services that help us live self-determined lives in the community?

ASAN studied this topic by doing an extensive literature review, a review of state services, and interviews with experts, including people who use behavior support services. In our new resource “Beyond Coercion and Institutionalization: People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and the Need for Improved Behavior Support Services,” [[link removed]] we take a deeper look at the history of behavior supports, what’s available today, and what needs to change.

Our report on behavior support services is available as a white paper, with an accompanying executive summary. We also have an accessible toolkit in both Easy Read and plain language formats. The white paper and toolkit tackle questions like:

* What are “behavior supports”?

* What problems are there with how behavior support services happen now?

* What changes could make behavior support services better?

* What are good goals for behavior support services?

* How can people with I/DD prepare for times when we might not be able to control our behavior?

And more!

We hope you will check out our new resource [[link removed]] and share it with anyone who is interested in changing how we approach behavior supports for people with IDD.


Autistic Self Advocacy Network
PO Box 66122
Washington, DC 20035
United States
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