Special needs children come in many forms, including children with mental illness. Recently, I met a woman with an 8 year old child who was diagnosed bi-polar and ADHD. She told me how her daughter had to be Baker Acted (click here to learn more) because the child was violent toward herself and her family. It is so sad to see or hear from a
Learn more »
Building a financial plan for your special needs children When you have a special needs child, not only do you worry about how they will be cared for from a health perspective (what doctors they need, health insurance, filing for disability benefits, etc.), but you also worry about how to provide for them after you are gone. It is not so easy for a family
Learn more »
National Special Needs Month and Guardian Advocacy October is National Special Needs Month and I wanted to focus this month on issues related to children with special needs. One of the biggest issues that I deal with on a regular basis as a special needs attorney is when a special needs child turns 18 years old. Parents of special needs children are used to
Learn more »
I have been receiving an alarmingly high volume of phone calls over the last few months from individuals who have children with special needs that are about to turn 18 and they are panicked because they have been told they will lose the ability to make legal, health care and educational decisions for that child. I have written before about the importance of having
Learn more »
My child is autistic and is about to turn 18. Her doctor told me that I better look into a guardianship because I will not have any authority to control health care decisions or financial decisions once she turns 18. Is this true? I must receive at least five phone calls a month from parents of disabled children asking this same question. I have
Learn more »