40 Big Ideas

Summary

Direct support professionals (DSPs) developed a framework to guide them. It focuses on respect and advocacy for people with disabilities. It tells DSPs how to make good decisions.

The NADSP Code of Ethics was established in the early 2000s in response to the growing recognition that Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) needed a formal ethical framework to guide their work. At the time, the field of intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD) was evolving, with increasing emphasis on person-centered supports, community inclusion, and individual rights. However, DSPs lacked standardized guidance to navigate the complex ethical challenges they often faced. (We call these ethical challenges Ethical Dilemmas)

The National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), formed in 1996, began working with staff from the University of Minnesota and its Institute on Community Integration(ICI), to create a Code of Ethics (COE) that would reflect the values and responsibilities of the profession—the profession of working with persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Through collaboration with DSPs, people receiving services, family members, and other stakeholders, NADSP and ICI released the first ever comprehensive set of ethical statements and principles in 2001.

The Code of Ethics became a cornerstone of the NADSP’s mission to elevate the role of DSPs and promote quality, person-centered services throughout the ID/DD field.

The NADSP Code of Ethics is critically important to the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/DD) because it establishes a clear framework for professional conduct among Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). This Code promotes person-centered values such as respect, integrity, and advocacy, which are essential when supporting individuals with disabilities to lead self-directed and meaningful lives.

In a field often marked by complex relationships and a paternalistic view of people with IDD, the Code of Ethics helps guide DSPs in making thoughtful, ethical decisions. It emphasizes the rights of people with IDD to make choices, express themselves, and participate fully in their communities. By centering dignity and autonomy for those we support, the COE helps prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation—risks that have historically been high for people with disabilities.

Additionally, the Code elevates the status of DSPs by defining professional expectations and encouraging continuous self-reflection and growth. It legitimizes the work of DSPs as not just caregivers but as skilled and value-driven professionals. This is especially important in a field where DSPs are often under-recognized despite the essential nature of their work. The Code also helps protect DSPs by offering a professional standard they can reference and rely on.

The future of the NADSP Code of Ethics holds powerful implications for the continued professionalization and effectiveness of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). As the ID/DD field grows more complex—embracing technology, use of social media and artificial intelligence, an increase in individualized services, and serving more and more diverse populations, the COE will remain a vital tool for guiding ethical decision-making and consistent, value-driven support.

NADSP has gathered together a national group of experts to revise and enhance the code of ethics created in 2001. This again involves collaboration between NADSP, ICI and many others. Twenty-one focus groups and three half day validation workshops with DSP’s and Frontline Supervisors have been conducted and will culminate in rich data that will guide a revision and ethical considerations of the COE. Along with a revised COE, a practice guideline will clarify some aspects of ethical practice. These revisions will be released in 2026 and will serve as an ethical foundation for those who work to support people with IDD.