The purpose of this assignment is to ponder dynamics associated with intelligence.

Step 1:   Imagine you are being consulted to give your opinion to the Court on a matter of guardianship.  Guardianship refers to a legal process where the Court removes a person’s legal rights as an adult and places a legal guardian in charge of exercising these rights (such as: the right to get married, sign a contract, make medication decisions, etc.).

The case you are being asked your opinion about involves Joy Evans, age 21.  Joy has Down’s syndrome, and her IQ has been determined to be 60. The purpose of the case is to determine if Joy Evans should retain the right to make the following decisions for herself:

   •    the right to get married

   •    the right to choose her place of residence

   •    the right to hold a job

   •    the right to make medical decisions for herself

To learn more about the case from which you will give your opinion, please click on and read Joy Evans Narrative, which is part of a chapter from the novel, Natalie’s Joy, written by David Liebert. (The author provided permission for the use of this material for academic purposes.)

Step 2:  To formulate an informed opinion to the prompts in Step 1, conduct credible web research that addresses the abilities and potential challenges of someone having an IQ of 60. 

Step 3:  Thoughtfully answer the following prompts related to the Joy Evans Narrative as well as the online research you completed.

Should Joy Evans retain the right to make the following decisions for herself?  Explain your rationale.

   •    the right to get married

   •    the right to choose her place of residence

   •    the right to hold a job

   •    the right to make medical decisions for herself