Doogri Institute
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The Lanterman Act – AB 1575 (California)
They Changed the Words. Then They Deleted the Part That Changed Our Lives. Every year, California changes the Lanterman Act. Some amendments follow money. Some follow politics. Some expand rights, while others create new conditions around how those rights can be exercised. This year, lawmakers decided to change what the Act calls us. We wanted… Read more
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Congrat’s, you’re self determined now.
We created this Facebook group because California’s Self-Determination Program needs something that no agency, professional association, regional center, FMS, or service provider can create for us: an independent network of people who can compare what is actually happening on the ground. SDP participants and families occupy a unique position. We have first-line access to spending… Read more
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California SDP people, is your Financial Management Service just a P.O. Box with a Google Voice number?
CONSUMER ALERT: If your FMS interferes with your benefits, payments, authorized services, or access to medically necessary supports, you may discover that you have no straightforward remedy against that vendor—particularly if you never verified the legal person or business actually behind the FMS. This post explains how to find out who is really receiving the… Read more
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When the Ledger Says “Support”
How California’s Self-Determination paperwork can document a payment without disclosing the network behind it California’s Self-Determination Program places public money in an individual budget and records expenditures in the individual participant’s file. The approved spending plan identifies services intended to meet the participant’s Individual Program Plan goals. A Financial Management Services company processes payments and… Read more
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Forget OAH – Sue in a Higher Court with Real Judges
Many consumers assume OAH is equivalent to a traditional court. It is not. OAH is an administrative tribunal funded by the same state government that funds DDS and oversees the regional center system. The agencies appearing before OAH are repeat institutional participants with specialized knowledge, attorneys, and experience. Consumers often arrive alone, exhausted, and unfamiliar… Read more
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“Out-of-State Vendors Are Prohibited.” What SDP Consumers Need to Know About the New FMS/Regional Center Crackdown
Across California, Self-Determination Program (SDP) participants are suddenly hearing the same message: “We cannot pay out-of-state vendors.” Consumers are being told: remote providers outside California are prohibited, invoices will not be paid, DDS “won’t allow it,” or the FMS “won’t be reimbursed.” But here is the critical question every SDP consumer should ask: Where exactly… Read more
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The Lanterman Act Might change the pronouns of the Governor, and Change the word “Consumer” to “person eligible”
Title:They Changed the Pronouns. They Didn’t Change Our Lives. California AB 1575 is moving through the legislature right now, and if you skim the bill text, it looks sweeping. Entire sections of the Lanterman Act—the legal backbone of services for people with developmental disabilities—are being rewritten. Language is updated line by line. Terminology is replaced.… Read more
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Anti-Ableism Policy Proposal (Draft) for California Regional Centers
“This policy should exist even if we didn’t.” A. Purpose We recognize the trauma that ableism causes and commit to continually assessing behavior and systems to ensure our effect on people’s lives matches our intent. We seek to establish the highest quality of acceptance for disabled people and be a groundbreaking example for the world.… Read more
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CA – Beyond the Rehab Boondoggle: A New Deal for Autistic Adults 2026 Legislative Proposal for California | September 15, 2025
September 23, 2025 Dear Senator Limon, We present this proposal to outline our legislative priorities for the year 2026, specifically focusing on the introduction of the Communication Support 2.0 Pilot Program. The crisis facing autistic adults in California is urgent: unemployment rates range from 40% to as high as 85%. This leaves 1 million of… Read more
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Consumer Protection, ADA Compliance, and Vendor Accountability in California’s Developmental Services System
MEMORANDUM To: Members, Senate Health Budget Subcommittee; California LegislatureCc: Department of Developmental Services (DDS)From: Autistic Stakeholder Coalition (signatories of the September 2025 Boondoggle report)Date: March 2026Subject: Consumer Protection, ADA Compliance, and Vendor Accountability in California’s Developmental Services System Executive Summary California’s developmental services system channels billions of public dollars through regional centers and vendored providers,… Read more
