Introduction: To make decisions is central to individuals' welfare, well-being and active citizenship. Self-determination for people with intellectual disability (ID) has been increasingly emphasized, which requires knowledge of supported decision-making.

Methods: Supporting young people with ID to self-determination is a central task for the school in Sweden. Through a survey and focus groups with school staff as well as observations of decisions in schools and interviews with young people with ID, the occurrence and design of supported decision-making have been analyzed.

Results: The individual's prerequisites, the staff's attitude and competence, the type of decision situation and access to assistive devices are factors that affects the decision-making process. Supported decision-making occurs daily in the school but varies greatly depending on the teachers' approach. Some work actively to encourage and support the students in doing their own decisions. More traditional approaches, the students' influence does not become so prominent an uncertainty was noted among the students, which turned out that they frequently asked questions about whether they were doing right.

Implications: Supported decision-making is required to involve people with ID effectively in decisions about their own lives and strengthen an active citizenship, especially in a society characterized by increased freedom of choice and marketisation of education and services.