According to the U.S. Census and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 20 percent of the U.S. population lives with disabilities, with most of these individuals being over the age of 65. Although a smaller population, among noninstitutionalized populations, 5.2 percent of children in the United States have been diagnosed with a disability.

Research has shown that disabled children are often not included in conversations about their own health. Inclusion into decision making regarding their health depends on their age and their cognitive ability. Often, family members of intellectually disabled (ID) individuals take on the decision making for the child. Their parents may not have taught them to make decisions or communicated with them through a decisionmaking process. Parents can demonstrate making ...