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Legal - Special Needs Adoption
Special Needs Adoption
It’s the time that parents refer to as “IEP season,” and
many parents face it with a mixture of hope and apprehension. The IEP is an individualized document
designed to outline goals and treatment plans for children with special
needs. ...
There
are many good reasons to create a Last Will and Testament (Will) prior to death.
First, it allows you to specify who will inherit your estate. In the absence of
a Will (or a trust or other arrangement to pass your assets at death), a state
law...
Planning for the future well-being of your children is a daunting task for any parent. Add the complexity of adequately providing for the future care of a son or daughter with special needs and the process becomes exponentially more...
The Social Security Administration, or SSA, offers some
benefits for children with disabilities.
SSI, or Social Security Income, is typically paid to adults who are 65
and older and who meet low income and limited resources requirements;...
News reports of abuse against individuals with disabilities
have been exploding across the news.
Stories of children being left on the bus, subjected to electroshock
therapy, and even parents sending kids to school with a wire because of...
While the special needs population continues to grow,
government funding is decreasing.
In late March 2012, the CDC announced that 1 in 88 children have autism,
and a research study estimated the annual cost of autism in the United States
is $...
The Los Angeles City Council agreed to pay $2.1 million in
legal fees to a disability group for neglecting to include evacuation
procedures for individuals with disabilities.
The nonprofit organization Communities Actively Living
Independent and...
Legislation is pending in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and New
York for limiting the amount insurers can charge patients for physical, speech,
and occupational therapy. South
Dakota and Kentucky lawmakers have already passed laws regarding these...
Most people have heard about shock therapy treatments, a
popular method of treating individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders in
the 40s and 50s. What many people
don’t know is this treatment is still used.
Researchers are unsure...
Many families of children with special needs make the common
mistake of not setting up a trust fund. The families think that there is no need to since they are
still healthy and young, or they think it may be a waste since they do not have
a...
No one likes to think about the circumstances that can take
their life, especially when they have young children at home. Sadly, situations can occur, and if the
proper procedures are not taken while you were still alive, it can cause a lot
of...
In the fight for your child’s special education, there may be
issues along the way. While
special education was designed to meet children’s unique learning needs, there
are many times when a certain teacher or the school board cause more harm...
The whole purpose of a special needs trust fund, which can
also be referred to as a supplemental needs trust, is to provide financial
support for a disabled person without disqualifying them from receiving
government assistance. Trust funds...
Life is unpredictable, especially if you are a parent of a
child with special needs. The one
thing that should not be unpredictable is what would happen to your child if
anything were to happen to you. Making
the proper plans now by...
Appointing a Trustee
for Your Special Needs Trust Fund
Setting up a trust fund for your child with special needs is
the best thing you can do to ensure that his or her future is secure in the
unlikely event of something happening to you or your...
When it comes to hiring a special needs attorney, there are many
things to consider. A special
education attorney can be a lifesaver when it comes to complex cases or special
education cases that require a lot of time and energy. The...
As a parent, there are going to be many times when you have to
fight for your child’s education. This
fight is even more prevalent if you are a parent of a special needs child or a
child with a learning disability. Many
times you will be...
Suitable housing is one
of the most important factors for independent living for persons with special
needs. It
can also be one of the most expensive, both in terms of capital investment and
annual costs. Use a business
approach to...
Appealing Denials
of Insurance Coverage for Medical Treatment
Your child’s health insurance carrier
has denied coverage for a certain medical procedure or treatment. What’s your next step?
Most insurance companies have an
appeals process...
With the rise of autism awareness comes further state
legislature for autism medical coverage.
Both Florida and Michigan have passed autism coverage bills for
review. These bills are intended
to help families in need pay for necessary...
Whether single or married, raising biological children or
other adopted children, potential adoptive families are guided by their desire
to make a difference in a child’s life, which is a wonderful starting point.
Successfully parenting a child with...
Original article posted on Redwood City PatchWhy I Filed a Child Abuse Report Against a Special Ed AideBy Dorie Johnson, as told to Redwood City Patch Editor Stacie Chan(Editor’s Note: Dorie Johnson was a former employee of the Redwood City...
In the current economic climate, it is easy to assume that
schools are sacrificing everything but the kitchen sink, and the lives of
special needs students are no exception.
According to CBC news, a Winnipeg School Division cut
$900,000 from the...
When we drop off our kids at school, we assume they are in a
safe environment. While nearly
every institution has a code regarding seclusions and restraints, most parents
don’t stop to think such tactics will be used on their children.
Civil...
According to Arizona state officials, no it’s not. The new legislature, which states that
doctors who fail to clearly articulate an unborn child’s risk of birth defects
are protected against malpractice suits, is meant to prevent women from...
Estate planning
and lifetime planning for parents with a child with a disability present
special challenges. The goals of the parents are to utilize their assets in
such away to enrich their child’s life while, at the same time, preserving the
child...
Planning for health care decision making includes two key
components:1. Preparation of a written advance directive, more commonly referred to as a living will, durable health care power of attorney, or health care proxy.2. Appointing someone to be...
What is a Self-Funded
Special Needs Trust?
A trust is a
legal document that provides for the control and distribution of assets held by
a "trustee" for the benefit of another (the "beneficiary"). The assets in
a trust may be money, stocks,...
Now that the holidays are done and even though it is not yet Spring, the time is now to get ready for what is commonly known as "IEP season." While the thought of the next annual review or domains meeting to decide on a round of evaluations may be...
Special needs trusts generally fall into one of two categories, and the treatment and effect of any given trust varies depending on which kind of trust is involved. This has led to a tremendous amount of confusion and, in some cases, a significant...
When a parent of a special needs child becomes increasingly frustrated, experiencing roadblocks in their efforts to intercede with their child’s school to access educational supports and services for their child, a consultation with a Special...
Operating pursuant to a charter granted either by a local educational or the State Board of Education, charter schools are primary or secondary schools created by interested agencies and individuals and receive public money for the students who...
Evaluations, also called assessments in some states, provide valuable information regarding the nature and extent of your child’s disability as well as the impact the condition may have on his or her education. Strengths and weaknesses identified...
Beginning at age 3 and throughout your child’s education, if you suspect that your child has special needs, he/she may be eligible for support from the local school district. To determine such, assessments must be conducted, which can be requested...
Clear and measurable goals are the key to a successful IEP. Here are three steps to assure better goals in your child’s IEP.
Understand Your Child’s Current Functioning
Review your child’s homework and tests to compare his work with grade level...
When a student qualifies for special education, the school district is required to develop an individual education program or “IEP” for the student. The IEP must include the basis for special education eligibility, measurable goals and objectives,...
Transition plans are a vital part of an IEP document for any student over the age of sixteen. In California, the state law requires that no later than age sixteen, a student’s IEP must include appropriate, measurable post-secondary goals and...
Federal and state law mandate a free appropriate public education tailored to the unique needs of the student. Many parents have come to know this free appropriate public education as the painfully traumatic Individual Educational Plan, or IEP. The...
Federal and state law mandate a free appropriate public education tailored to the unique needs of the student. Many parents have come to know this free appropriate public education as the painfully traumatic Individual Educational Plan, or IEP. The...
When a parent of a special needs child becomes increasingly
frustrated, experiencing roadblocks in their efforts to intercede with
their child’s school to access educational supports and services for
their child, a consultation with a special...
Operating pursuant to a charter granted either by a local educational or the State Board of Education, charter schools are primary or secondary schools created by interested agencies and individuals and receive public money for the students who...
Evaluations, also called "assessments" in some states, provide valuable information regarding the nature and extent of your child’s disability as well as the impact the condition may have on his or her education. Strengths and weaknesses identified...
Clear and measurable goals are the key to a successful IEP. Here are three steps to assure better
goals in your child’s IEP.
1.
Understand
Your Child’s Current Functioning
Review your child’s homework and tests to compare his...
When a student qualifies for special
education, the school district is required to develop an individual
education program or “IEP” for the student. The IEP must include the basis for
special education eligibility, measurable goals and objectives,...
Transition plans are a vital part of an IEP document for any
student over the age of sixteen. In California, the state law requires that no
later than age sixteen, a student’s IEP must include appropriate, measurable
post-secondary goals and...
The “Three R’s” are a well-worn cliché of education, and often the
traditional neighborhood school will meet your child’s needs. But if you think
your special needs child needs more help than their district school is
providing, or the district is...
For young adults with special needs, the transition from high school to adult life brings a new set of opportunities and challenges. Your child must have a transition plan by age 16. Beginning to plan early will increase his opportunity to achieve...
Imagine what it must be like for a young person with learning disabilities to be apprehended and questioned by the police. Immediately, your fear and nervousness makes your impairment more acute, and you do a poor job in answering questions. Already...
What is special needs planning? The focus of special needs planning is to protect and secure the future of our loved ones with disabilities.Through special needs planning, we work to preserve and maximize needs-based public benefits, such as...
