Loud & Clear: Family Conversations is written by our member attorneys and guests for individuals with disabilities and their families. We tackle the day-to-day and long-range issues that affect the quality of life. Readers are welcome to comment on the discussion, though we can not answer legal questions here. For answers to specific legal questions, please find an attorney in our Directory.
Early Intervention Can Change a Life
By Robert F. Brogan, CELA At one time, it was common for neurologists to wait until a child was about five to broach the topic of developmental delays with parents. [...]
Military Families Face Legal Inequities
By Jeremy Hilton I am a Navy veteran and spouse to an active duty Air Force member. After our daughter, Kate, was born with a number of significant disabilities, I [...]
The Emotional Journey of Families with Special Needs
By John Chimarusti, Ph.D, LMSW During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a concept that was commonly referred to as "chronic sorrow" for parents who had children with special needs. [...]
VA Benefits: A Broken Bureaucracy
By Pi-Yi G. Mayo, CELA It's been said that navigating the Social Security and Medicaid systems is a "sprint," while applying for Veterans Administration (VA) benefits is a "marathon." The [...]
Divorce and Children with Special Needs
By Lili A. Vasileff There are few challenges more difficult than going through divorce and having a child with special needs. As a divorced, single parent of a beautiful daughter [...]
What Makes Autism so Uniquely Stressful?
By Michelle DePolo, Psy.D., Pediatric Psychologist, KidsLink Neurobehavioral Center It has been well established that parents of children with autism experience greater stress than parents of children with other developmental [...]
The Search for Community-Based Jobs
By James McCarten, Esq. Students with disabilities, just like every other young person, want a fulfilling career. A job is the foundation of independence, a gateway to community life and [...]
The Katie Beckett Difference
By Robert B. Fleming, CELA Katie Beckett, who died recently at the age of 34, directly changed the lives of more than half a million children with disabilities. She inspired [...]
False Arrest
Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System By William King Self, Jr., CELA There are large numbers of underserved individuals with mental illness in communities across the U.S.--largely due the [...]
How to Fight Bullying
By Judith C. Saltzman Parents increasingly recognize the dangers of bullying. One nationwide survey finds that 30 percent of parents with kids ages 12-17 fear bullying more than kidnapping! Children [...]
A Self-Advocate’s Perspective
Melanie Courtney, a legal assistant with Frascogna Courtney PLLC, has conducted training in self-advocacy for The Arc of Mississippi. The Special Needs Alliance recently interviewed her concerning this growing movement [...]
Sibling Perspectives on Special Needs
By Benjamin A. Rubin, Esq., LLM When a family member has special needs, siblings grow up fast. Parents sometimes speak of how life changed for them when they began caring [...]
Making a Difference with Sports
By Scott Suzuki, Esq. I've been involved with Special Olympics for over a decade. Although anyone can benefit from sports— building self-confidence and a sense of belonging while improving overall [...]
Dogs with a Mission
Service Dogs Can Change a Life By James A. Caffry, Esq., and Richard A. Courtney, CELA The relationship between canines and humans has been evolving for at least 14,000 years, [...]
To Plan or Not to Plan – That Is Not the Question
By Mohan Mehra, President, The Arc Board of Directors, Washington, D.C. The Arc recently completed a national study of over 5,000 parents, siblings and caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental [...]
Music as a Healing Art
By Catherine Leas, CELA The arts are a gift to all of us, but for individuals with special needs, they hold special promise. When Willy, who has severe developmental disabilities, plays [...]
Special Education Under Siege
By Andrew H. Hook, CELA Federal law stipulates that all children with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive setting possible. That's a broad—and [...]
A Few Thoughts about Special Needs Planning for Mental Illness
By Shawn Majette, Esq. Advance planning is essential in providing for the well-being of an individual with severe mental illness. The shifting presentation of its symptoms, however, demands an adjustable [...]
Medicaid and Special Needs
By Carol S. Battaglia, Esq. Medicaid, jointly funded by the federal government and individual states, is arguably the most important public benefit available to individuals with disabilities. While eligibility guidelines, [...]
Advocacy in an Election Year
By Lois M. Zerrer It's an election year, and budget discussions at all levels of government are threatening decades of progress on behalf of individuals with disabilities. The stakes are [...]