Improving Lifestyles and Planning for Tomorrow with Special Needs
All parents want their children to live wonderful lives, and they do all they can to make that a reality. As your child with autism becomes an adult, that journey can become more and more challenging. It can become difficult to find services, to find a primary care provider who understands your adult child’s needs, […]
Continue readingSpecial Needs Planning for Tomorrow: One Gooooaaaal!
The FIFA World Cup captured the world’s attention this past summer as soccer has become the most popular sport on the planet. As I was enjoying the spectacular games, I realized that soccer has one goal: To end the game with more goals scored than the opponent. I know this seems obvious, but many times […]
Continue readingGood News on the Horizon With Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
The 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act opened the door for young people with disabilities to be evaluated for regular work in the community before being steered toward subminimum wage jobs. This Act has transformed the options available for those with disabilities when they age out of the educational system. In Minnesota, the number of […]
Continue readingRising Care Costs Can Affect Long-Term Support With Special Needs
Lifetime support for an individual with a disability requires people. This statement may sound obvious; however, in planning for an individual’s future, the people who will care for them are rarely discussed in detail. Special Needs Planning often stops after the discussion of a Special Needs Trust, future guardians, and government benefits. It is common […]
Continue readingHow Do ABLE Accounts and Third Party Special Needs Trust Compare?
Could you compare, from a high level, ABLE accounts and a Third Party Special Needs Trust? From a high-level perspective, ABLE accounts and Third Party Special Needs Trust are the same in one main way, any money positioned in these accounts are not counted as a resource when an individual with a disability applies for […]
Continue readingHow Macroeconomic Changes Can Impact People with Special Needs
I am sure you have heard the saying, “the left-hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.” This statement can be quite evident when the decisions by the US government are explored. For many individual states, the minimum wage became a hot-button issue, and quite a number of state governments decided to pass laws […]
Continue readingAdult Life – What Is Available For My Child With Special Needs?
Parents, families, and adults have the same burning question, “What happens when school is over?” In the past, the answer was for the child to continue to live at home with parents or in a group home setting, possibly work part-time at a fast food restaurant, grocery store, pet store or maybe just be able […]
Continue readingChanges to the ABLE Account Rules You Need to Know
Could you describe the changes in the ABLE account rules that were brought about by the new federal tax legislation? As most of you know, the ABLE Act was passed back at the end of 2014 and paved the way for individuals diagnosed with a disability before the age of 26 to save money without […]
Continue readingFuture Independence for Special Needs Linked to Technology and Money
As parents guide their children through the stages of life, there comes a point where adulthood becomes ever so real. That time usually comes somewhere between 14 and 17 years old, when parents realize their child will become an adult and will no longer be attending school. For some of those young adults, they may […]
Continue readingHow to Plan for Your Special Needs Child’s Legal and Financial Future
The holiday season is officially upon us, and our calendars are even busier than normal (which is hard to believe!). I know that the holiday season brings a great deal of joy, happiness, family time, and stress. It can also bring with it a time for reflection, reflection on the year that has passed, and […]
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