DDA Disability Awareness & Person-Centered Support 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A family member insists that a support worker follow cultural practices that conflict with the individual's own expressed preferences. The worker's primary obligation is to:
- Follow the family's instructions to maintain a positive relationship
- Prioritize the individual's expressed preferences while respectfully acknowledging cultural context (Correct answer)
- Consult only with the supervisor before taking any action
- Document the conflict and defer to the agency's cultural policy
Correct answer: Prioritize the individual's expressed preferences while respectfully acknowledging cultural context
The individual receiving services is the primary focus; their preferences take precedence, though cultural sensitivity should guide how the conversation is handled.
Question 2: Which of the following is a core principle of the Olmstead Supreme Court decision (1999)?
- States must fund unlimited community placements regardless of cost
- Unjustified institutionalization of people with disabilities constitutes discrimination (Correct answer)
- Individuals with disabilities must request community placement in writing
- Medical necessity overrides an individual's preference for community living
Correct answer: Unjustified institutionalization of people with disabilities constitutes discrimination
Olmstead held that unnecessary institutionalization violates the ADA's integration mandate, requiring states to provide community-based services.
Question 3: In positive behavior support (PBS), the purpose of a functional behavior assessment (FBA) is to:
- Determine appropriate punishments for challenging behaviors
- Identify the function or purpose a behavior serves for the individual (Correct answer)
- Document the frequency of behaviors for legal reporting
- Classify behaviors by severity to assign staff ratios
Correct answer: Identify the function or purpose a behavior serves for the individual
An FBA uncovers why a behavior occurs (its function) so supports can be designed to meet that need in a more effective way.
Question 4: An individual with a developmental disability is offered a service they do not want. A rights-respecting response is to:
- Provide the service anyway because it is in the care plan
- Inform the individual of the option and respect a refusal if they have decision-making capacity (Correct answer)
- Contact the guardian to override the refusal
- Document the refusal and continue scheduling the service
Correct answer: Inform the individual of the option and respect a refusal if they have decision-making capacity
Individuals with decision-making capacity have the right to refuse services, and support workers must respect that right even when they believe the service is beneficial.
Question 5: Which of the following statements about intellectual disability (ID) is accurate?
- ID is always accompanied by physical disabilities
- ID is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior (Correct answer)
- ID is a mental illness that can be treated with psychotherapy alone
- ID only affects individuals with IQ scores below 50
Correct answer: ID is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior
ID is defined by both intellectual functioning limitations and deficits in adaptive behavior such as conceptual, social, and practical skills.
Question 6: When writing goals in a person-centered support plan, the most important consideration is that goals:
- Align with agency program priorities and funding requirements
- Reflect what the individual wants to achieve in their own life (Correct answer)
- Are measurable and achievable within 90 days
- Are approved by the clinical team before being shared with the individual
Correct answer: Reflect what the individual wants to achieve in their own life
Goals in a person-centered plan must originate from and be meaningful to the individual, not be imposed by systems or staff.
Question 7: What does 'cultural humility' require of a DDA professional when supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds?
- Applying standard cultural facts about an individual's ethnic group to their support plan
- Continuously self-reflecting and learning from the individual about their cultural identity and preferences (Correct answer)
- Deferring all culturally sensitive decisions to a cultural liaison
- Avoiding any discussion of culture to prevent stereotyping
Correct answer: Continuously self-reflecting and learning from the individual about their cultural identity and preferences
Cultural humility involves ongoing self-reflection and centering the individual's own description of their cultural identity rather than relying on generalizations.
DDA Disability Awareness & Person-Centered Support 5
A family member insists that a support worker follow cultural practices that conflict with the individual's own expressed preferences.
The worker's primary obligation is to: