By Linda M. Gorczynski, Esq. It's critical that we get increased funding for special education services in order to meet the needs of students with disabilities and achieve compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Attempts have been made to make legislative changes for years, but it hasn't happened. We all need to [...]
By Shannon Laymon-Pecoraro, WealthManagement.com
This installment of The Voice was written by Special Needs Alliance member Elizabeth L. Gray, Esq., a principal with the firm of McCandlish Lillard, with offices in Fairfax and Leesburg, Virginia. She has practiced special needs and elder law for over 20 years and has been listed in Best Lawyers of America annually since 2012. She also sits on the board of directors of Brain Injury Services.
By Penelope Wang, Consumer Reports
By Glynis A. Ritchie, Esq. Parents of children with special needs have lots on their plates. When it comes to estate planning, the tasks at hand can be complicated, and the choices parents have to make – how to provide for their child’s needs when they are not around and whom to name as fiduciaries [...]
By Martha C. Brown, CELA Special needs trusts (SNTs) are established to supplement the benefits that individuals with disabilities receive from government programs, such as Medicaid and SSI (Supplemental Security Income). They protect funds intended to enhance quality of life without rendering the beneficiary ineligible for means-tested benefits. Since SSI is meant to cover food [...]
By Sage C. Hart, Esq. High school graduation is a milestone for any student, but when a young adult has disabilities, it ushers in a period of even greater change. While attending public school, students with special needs are legally entitled to a wide array of services, but once they leave (by the age of [...]
By Nicole Dow, The Penny Hoarder
By Bradley J. Frigon, CELA, Parenting Special Needs
By James M. McCarten, Esq., Parenting Special Needs
By Judith L. Smith, Esq. Bullying in its many forms is a serious, all-too-common problem, and social media has moved this abuse online. The bullying may involve insults, threats or physical violence, with results that range from damaged self-esteem to poor academic performance to bodily injury. Children with special needs are more frequently targeted by [...]
The Voice® is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment of The Voice® was written by Special Needs Alliance member Daniel Surprenant, CELA, who practices law in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Barbara Hughes, center, Vice President of The Arc Dane County, chaired the stunningly successful event. From left, Danielle Sendelbach and Bianca McCormick from Barbara’s office were two of the many volunteers who helped out. On Saturday, October 20, nearly 50 children and adults with special needs, along with adult companions, braved high winds and the [...]
Robert Fechtman, Fechtman Law Office, Indianapolis, Indiana, has been elected president of the Special Needs Alliance (SNA). "SNA is concerned about potential cuts to public benefits and attacks on Obamacare," says Fechtman. "Many of the individuals and families we serve rely on needs-based public benefits programs, such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and [...]
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Timothy Rigby, Esq., who practices with Hart, Southworth & Witsman in Springfield, Illinois. The firm’s focus is estate planning and transactional matters, and Tim concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning and special needs planning.
By Sally L. Schoffstall, CELA Dementia is on the rise with the aging of baby boomers. Nearly six million individuals in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s, while others deal with cognitive decline related to Parkinson’s disease, stroke, Downs Syndrome or other medical conditions. The changes are often wrenching, as parents become vulnerable and adult children grieve [...]
SNA attorneys have ongoing involvement with the wide-ranging issues faced by individuals with disabilities, their families and the professionals who serve them. Below is a sampling from member blogs and newsletters… Who Can Make Decisions for a Minor Child with Special Needs? In these days of blended families, who can represent the interests of a [...]
The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Laurie Hanson, Esq., a shareholder in the Minneapolis, Minnesota elder law firm of Long, Reher, Hanson, & Price, P.A. The firm’s focus is to provide individuals who are aging or living with disabilities positive strategies to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. Laurie concentrates her practice exclusively in the areas of government benefit eligibility, special needs trusts, trust and public benefit litigation, estate planning and planning for incapacity. She is a past president of the Elder Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, a member of the SNA board of directors, and is repeatedly named a super lawyer in the field of elder law by her peers.
By Tara Anne Pleat, Esq. It is not uncommon for parents who are creating a supplemental needs trust (SNT) for a loved one with disabilities to assume that naming one of the child’s siblings as the trustee is a perfect solution. They often believe that someone who’s grown up alongside the beneficiary is best positioned [...]
Emily Kingsley and son Jason are prominently featured in Andrew Solomon’s Far from the Tree, recognized by The New York Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2012, and in the film of the same name. Far from the Tree explores family relationships when a child is significantly different from parents. Jason has [...]