In self-determination, what does 'Authority' mean?

In self-determination, what does 'Authority' mean?

• A. The ability for individuals to plan a life with chosen support rather than purchasing a pre-set program.
• B. The ability for a person with a disability to control a specific sum of money to purchase their own supports.
• C. Arranging formal and informal resources to help an individual live a life rich in community association.
• D. Accepting a valued role in the community and being accountable for spending public dollars in life-enhancing ways.

Answer: (B)

Authority in self-determination means the person has control over a budget to fund the supports they need. It’s about deciding how a defined amount of money is spent to hire services, choose providers, set schedules, and adjust funding as goals or needs change. This empowers the individual to tailor supports to their own life plans rather than having someone else pick a preset program for them. For example, if someone wants a personal assistant to help with mornings and outings, they decide how many hours to allocate, which providers to hire, and how to allocate funds across different supports. This money-control aspect distinguishes authority from simply planning or coordinating supports, or merely being accountable for spending public dollars, because it centers the person’s direct power to allocate resources to meet their own priorities.

Authority in self-determination means the person has control over a budget to fund the supports they need. It’s about deciding how a defined amount of money is spent to hire services, choose providers, set schedules, and adjust funding as goals or needs change. This empowers the individual to tailor supports to their own life plans rather than having someone else pick a preset program for them.

For example, if someone wants a personal assistant to help with mornings and outings, they decide how many hours to allocate, which providers to hire, and how to allocate funds across different supports. This money-control aspect distinguishes authority from simply planning or coordinating supports, or merely being accountable for spending public dollars, because it centers the person’s direct power to allocate resources to meet their own priorities.