ICI (MA UCEDD/LEND) Wins Grant to Examine Transfer-of-Rights and Guardianship

August 19, 2019

Recently, ICI was awarded funding from the Institute of Education Sciences through its Special Education Research Grants Program. The project is entitled "Exploring How Transfer-of-Rights and Guardianship Discussions May Affect Transition Outcomes for Students with Intellectual Disabilities." Funding will begin September 1, 2019, is anticipated through 2023, and will be in the amount of approximately $360,000 per year for the 4-year grant period.

"Guardianship is a core issue affecting how young people with disabilities transition to adult life," said Senior Research Associate Allison Cohen Hall. Hall is key staff on the new grant, along with ICI colleagues Cady Landa and Jaimie Timmons. "With this project, we are looking at the impact on young people with intellectual disabilities when their teachers and family members engage them in discussing their options around independence and decision-making."

Project activities include a scoping literature review of transfer-of-rights processes, guardianship-related information, and transition; a 50-state analysis of related policies; expert interviews; and a qualitative study with 24 sets of triads (students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, parents, and special educators).

Collaborators on the project include staff from the Harvard Law School Project on Disability and self-advocate organizations from Massachusetts and New York.