Special Needs

Articles

As a country, we like to tout that we have the best medical care in the world, that we are cutting edge, innovative, and of the highest...are measuring with. We are also costly, money driven, and questionably ethical when it comes to our research and development (R&D) in the area of drug...

...wheelchairs, mono-skis, handcycles, adaptive golf clubs) rarely qualifies for medical coverage because insurers classify it as participation equipment, not medically...kids with disabilities. But "improves quality of life" doesn't meet the medical necessity threshold most insurers use. Some families successfully appeal...

...wheelchair claims for specific, predictable reasons. They're following medical necessity criteria established in their policies, not denying care arbitrarily....addresses what's missing. The most common denial reasons: Insufficient medical documentation: The prescription doesn't include functional limitations that...

...Processing speed that slows note-taking to a crawl while the teacher moves on. These symptoms are real, measurable, and documented in your child's medical records. But to a teacher who has never worked with pediatric MS, they can look like inattention, laziness, or poor motivation. Getting the right accommodations...

...high-risk period: studies show increased hospitalizations, declining lung function, and medication non-adherence during these years. The problems aren't medical. They're structural. Adult clinics operate differently, insurance coverage gaps open at predictable ages, and self-management skills that weren't required...

In February 2025, a medical team at UCSF delivered the first personalized CRISPR therapy to an infant with CPS1 deficiency, a rare metabolic disorder that prevents the body from...

...don't hold the lease and have less control over household decisions. This setting fits people whose safety genuinely requires continuous oversight: medical complexity, behaviors that need trained staff intervention, or situations where...

...covering your child's therapy appointments, specialist visits, or durable medical equipment. The deductible resets every January, and by February you're already...all states offer Katie Beckett waivers, and those that do set their own medical and functional eligibility...

...Traditional Workplaces Weren't Built for Flexibility. Most jobs still operate on a 9-to-5, in-office model. For someone managing a chronic condition, medical appointments, or energy fluctuations, that rigidity is often incompatible with staying employed. Requesting accommodations is legally protected, but...

...dehumanization. Before that, people were routinely called "the disabled," "the retarded," "the blind." Reducing someone to their diagnosis was the norm in medical, educational, and policy settings. Person-first phrasing was a correction. It emphasized that disability is one part of a person's identity, not the...

...palsy at age two" tells the committee nothing about you. It's a fact from a medical chart. Compare that to: "I learned to advocate for myself at IEP meetings...later, if it needs to come at all. The committee isn't evaluating your medical history. They're evaluating your capacity to contribute. Show Transformation...

...after you're issued a voucher and you're searching for housing. It can include requests for ground-floor units, accessible features, or proximity to medical facilities. You apply for both. One gets you to the front of the line. The other gets you a unit that works. How to Find Out If Your PHA Offers Disability...