Contact Anu Prabhala at 202-387-1968, ext. 212 or annap@aamr.org

Unique person-centered focus makes tool a breakthrough in disability services

American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) released the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) today, paving the way for a major shift in the way services and supports are delivered to persons with intellectual disabilities. The SIS is a unique planning tool that enables professionals to assess the daily needs and life goals of a person with an intellectual disability and identify practical support strategies to fulfill them. Breaking away from the traditional approach towards assessment, the SIS takes the needs—as opposed to deficits—of the person with an intellectual disability as the point of departure for planning supports and services. The positive, direct, and person-centered focus of the Scale makes it a breakthrough in disability services.

“For those of us who work tirelessly for self-determination and the full inclusion of citizens with developmental disabilities in community life, our ship has arrived,” says Stephen Hall, Executive Director of the Resource Exchange Community Centered Board, a provider agency in Colorado. “The Supports Intensity Scale is the first assessment tool that doesn't fix blame and find what’s wrong within the person, but helps determine the supports necessary for someone to succeed.”

The Supports Intensity Scale evaluates the needs of a person with mental retardation in 57 key activities through a one-on-one interview process between a qualified professional and the individual with a disability and those close to him or her. The professional gleans a comprehensive overview of the type and frequency of support needed to fulfill required and desired life activities in the areas of home and community living, lifelong learning, employment, health and safety, social activities, and protection and advocacy. This practical information is then used by the caregiver to create personalized support plans for the individual with mental retardation.

In a nutshell, the Supports Intensity Scale is a tool that can help each person with mental retardation live a life of his or her own making. This attention to the needs of each individual is perhaps the greatest contribution of the tool.

Two other features contribute to the uniqueness of the Supports Intensity Scale. The SIS evaluates how certain pre-existing medical and behavioral conditions commonly associated with mental retardation affect the overall support requirements of a person with mental retardation. This combined assessment of medical conditions and daily support requirements is new. In addition, the SIS also assesses the help a person with an intellectual disability requires to advocate for his or her own rights. Sample tasks evaluated in this category include, managing personal finances, obtaining legal services, and protecting oneself from self-exploitation.

“With the Supports Intensity Scale, the major focus is on what types of supports a person with an intellectual disability needs to participate in the community, assume normal social roles, and experience greater satisfaction and fulfillment in life,” says Doreen Croser, Executive Director of the AAMR. “The SIS represents a significant achievement for the disability community worldwide.”

The Supports Intensity Scale was developed over a period of five years by a team of 10 experts in assessment, psychology, and developmental disabilities. The Scale builds on the work of the AAMR in the area of supports, especially the 10th edition of the association’s classification manual titled Mental Retardation: Definition, Classification and Systems of Supports (2002).

The SIS will be used by agencies and individuals who provide services for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities.

Click here to learn how to order SIS.

Founded in 1876, the mission of AAMR is to promote progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual disabilities.