Allison Cohen Hall, PhD

Principal Investigator

Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights (GATOR)

We want to learn more about how youth with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities use social media. We want to know this so that we can share useful information with you and other youth. Please take a moment to fill out our short survey!

We want to interview students, parents, and transition specialists to better understand how special education staff discuss guardianship, alternatives, and transfer-of-rights with students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their parents. The study’s goal is to develop effective strategies that support positive transition outcomes for students with IDD.

Do you know a student who would like to participate? Students will receive a $25 Amazon gift card for completing the interview. Read our flyer for students to learn more and to share with your youth networks!

Do you know a parent of a student with IDD? Read our flyer for parents to learn more and to share with your parent networks!

Do you know a transition specialist, special educator, or other school personnel who works on transition with youth with IDD? Read our flyer for educators to learn more and to share with your professional networks!

Please contact Daria Domin at daria.domin@umb.edu if you know any students, parents, or special education/transition professionals in MA or NY who would like to participate.

Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice (CYVYC) is a national youth resource center on alternatives to guardianship. The Center promotes the use of alternatives to guardianship nationally through research, self-advocacy, outreach, coalition building, and education. 

Visit the new CYVYC website to learn more!

Resource List: Resource List on Transfer of IDEA Rights for Students with Disabilities

ICI’s Guardianship Alternatives and Transfer-of-Rights (GATOR) project has just published a new resource list for self-advocates, parents, supporters, policy makers, education professionals, and many others. It covers a broad range of literature types, including empirical research, law and policy analysis, professional resources, parent resources, self-advocacy materials, and general resources. We hope you find this useful in your work on transfer-of-rights and promoting alternatives to guardianship!

Presentation: Understanding Transfer of Rights Discussions to Foster Meaningful Systems Change

Self-advocates and GATOR partners Shameka Andrews from Self-Advocacy Association of New York State and Kamisha Heriveaux from Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong presented at the TASH conference in December alongside Hezzy Smith from the Harvard Law School Project on Disability.

Brief: Exploring Alternatives to Guardianship: A Brief for Youth with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities and Their Supporters

ICI’s Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice (CYVYC) project has published a new brief for youth and a complementary infographic on decision-making. This brief talks about some differences between people with IDD who have guardians and people with IDD who do not have guardians. National Core Indicators data show that people with IDD who do not have guardians are more likely to make important life decisions than those who have guardians.

Video: More on Supported Decision-Making

“We all get help to make important decisions in our lives.” Morgan K. Whitlatch from the Center for Public Representation, a CYVYC partner, presented to our first cohort of youth ambassadors on supported decision-making. She gave the youth ambassadors ideas about how to talk about supported decision-making with different types of people in their lives like teachers, doctors, and family members. This video is 12 minutes long.