DDA Disability Awareness & Person-Centered Support 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal law established the right of students with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE)?
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Correct answer)
- Rehabilitation Act Section 504
- Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act
Correct answer: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
IDEA guarantees FAPE for students with disabilities, including the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Question 2: The social model of disability differs from the medical model primarily because it:
- Focuses on curing or treating the individual's impairment
- Locates disability in societal barriers rather than the individual (Correct answer)
- Requires psychiatric diagnosis before services are provided
- Emphasizes genetic causes of developmental differences
Correct answer: Locates disability in societal barriers rather than the individual
The social model argues that it is environmental and attitudinal barriers—not the individual's condition—that create disability.
Question 3: Natural supports in a person-centered plan refer to:
- Paid staff hired through a disability services agency
- Family, friends, neighbors, and community members who provide unpaid assistance (Correct answer)
- Adaptive technology provided by the state
- Therapists contracted by the support organization
Correct answer: Family, friends, neighbors, and community members who provide unpaid assistance
Natural supports are unpaid relationships in the individual's life that provide assistance as part of typical community participation.
Question 4: When a support worker disagrees with an individual's life choice that poses no legal or safety concern, the correct response is to:
- Override the choice to protect the individual's wellbeing
- Express the disagreement once, then respect and support the individual's decision (Correct answer)
- Document the disagreement and escalate to the supervisor
- Involve the individual's family to reverse the decision
Correct answer: Express the disagreement once, then respect and support the individual's decision
Self-determination means support workers respect choices even when they personally disagree, provided no harm or legal issue exists.
Question 5: Which term describes the practice of people with disabilities directing their own services and managing their own budgets?
- Supported decision-making
- Self-directed services (Correct answer)
- Individualized support planning
- Community integration
Correct answer: Self-directed services
Self-directed services allow individuals to control their own support funds, hire their own workers, and design their own services.
Question 6: A person-centered approach to communication with a non-speaking individual should begin with:
- Assuming the individual cannot understand spoken language
- Identifying and using the individual's preferred communication method (Correct answer)
- Speaking only to the caregiver present
- Waiting until an AAC device is available before interaction
Correct answer: Identifying and using the individual's preferred communication method
Effective support starts by learning how the individual communicates, whether through AAC, sign language, picture boards, gestures, or other means.
Question 7: Which of the following scenarios reflects a violation of least restrictive environment principles?
- Providing a job coach in an integrated workplace
- Placing an individual in a sheltered workshop when competitive employment is feasible (Correct answer)
- Using visual schedules to support daily routines
- Adapting community activities to include an individual with physical disabilities
Correct answer: Placing an individual in a sheltered workshop when competitive employment is feasible
Sheltered workshops represent a more restrictive setting when integrated competitive employment is a viable option, conflicting with LRE principles.
DDA Disability Awareness & Person-Centered Support 3
Which federal law established the right of students with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE)?