Individualised funding schemes for people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review

A shift to individualised funding for persons with disabilities, promises greater autonomy for the individual. The extent that this has been achieved for people with intellectual disabilities is unclear. This review sought to synthesise the evidence on the outcomes of individualised funding for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

A systematic review of articles from January 1990 to April 2024 and a narrative synthesis of findings was completed.

Ten articles representing seven unique studies across four countries were analysed. Though choice and control were found to improve for some people, the experience was not consistent for all people.

Individualised planning processes can exclude people with intellectual disabilities and provide limited ability to plan for the longer term. Thus, scheme and system changes are required to ensure fuller involvement of people with intellectual disabilities in the planning process to ensure proper choice and control.