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Supports Intensity Scale

The SIS assessment measures the support a person living with intellectual
or developmental disabilities needs for everyday activities of independent living.

A Supports Intensity Scale® (SIS) assessment determines the daily supports a person with intellectual and development disabilities needs to live as independently as possible in the community. Everyone enrolled in the Innovations Waiver will complete a SIS assessment. There is an assessment for adults and an assessment for children.

A trained intellectual and developmental disability professional conducts SIS assessments. Results from your SIS assessment are used to create your person-centered individual support plan. The SIS also helps set Individualized Budget Amounts to be used for services.

The Supports Intensity Scale® was developed by the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). SIS assessments identify what help a person with intellectual or developmental disabilities needs to do the same things everyone else does every day. Instead of measuring what you cannot do, it measures the type and amount of help you need to shop, prepare meals, get around from place to place, work, be social, have friendships, and do other activities.

Your assessment is a private meeting between you, two other people very familiar with you and your needs, and the trained professional. The meeting usually takes a few hours to finish and is at a place and time you are most comfortable with. At an adult assessment, you will discuss the support you need for 57 activities and 28 areas of health. The child assessment is for children 5 to 15 1/2 years old living with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

NC Innovations Waiver: New Assessment Tool

People who get services through the NC Medicaid Innovations Waiver must have a special assessment. This helps make sure they get the right kind of support.

What Assessment Is Used?

NC Medicaid uses a tool called the Supports Intensity Scale to figure out what help a person needs to live a good life.

  • People ages 16 and older take the SIS-A (Adult version).
  • Children ages 5 to 15 take the SIS-C (Children’s version).

What’s Changing?

As of July 1, 2025, a new version of the SIS-A will be used for people 16 and older.

  • You’ll get the new version during your regular SIS-A appointment, which happens every 3 years.
  • Children will still take the SIS-C every 2 years—this is not changing.

What’s Different About the New SIS-A?

  • The new version gives more detailed information.
  • You might see new items in your report, but your supports budget (the amount of help you can get) likely won’t change.
  • It may take about three years for everyone to switch to the new version.

Remember: the supports budget is a guideline, not a limit.

Questions?

Call Partners Health Management at 1-888-235-4673 (TTY: 711).
You can also learn more here.