The goal of this brief is to educate parents and supporters of youth in transition about guardianship and alternatives to guardianship. The brief presents three main themes: the reasons people pursue guardianship, the negative effects of guardianship on the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and the strategies and recommendations about alternatives to guardianship.  This brief is a publication of Guardianship and Transfer of Rights (GATOR) project at the Institute for Community Inclusion, UMass Boston.