Hickman & Lowder Co., L.P.A. is excited to continue our Special Needs Insights series. Our short videos are designed to help you expand your awareness, reduce your stress and redefine what is possible as you advocate for your loved one. This week, Attorney Ethan Welch dives into trust options for families with adult children with special needs as they plan…
Children With Special Needs
Masks Required at School – What About Kids with Disabilities?
Recently, we have been receiving inquiries from parents who are worried that their children with disabilities won’t be able to go back to school because of the new mask mandate issued by Governor DeWine. The order requires all students in grades K-12 to wear a mask at school. But, as we all know, there is a fairly small group of…
Your COVID-19 Practical Preparedness Plan
The COVID-19 pandemic is difficult for all of us. Economic, psychological, and most important, physical health is on the top of everyone’s mind during just about all waking hours. We must stay strong for our vulnerable and remember that with the right preparedness and planning, this too shall pass. Estate plans are vitally important to our overall preparedness and peace…
Resources for Students Who Have Low Vision
The Children and Young Adult Services department at The Independence Sight Center recognizes the difference between accommodations and modifications when teaching students who have low vision using the general education curriculum alongside their peers. Sylvia Snyder, the Director, has generously shared some helpful resources: Accommodations and Modifications at a Glance The Michigan Vision Services Severity Rating Scale Expanded Core Curriculum…
How Does the SECURE Act Affect My Estate Plan and My Child with Special Needs?
For most families with a loved one with disabilities, much of the assets which will be used for the loved one’s long-term needs are found in pre-tax accounts, such as IRAs. SECURE Act Means Drastic Changes to Retirement Account Inheritance Rules Congress recently passed, and the President signed into law, the “SECURE Act” (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Act…
Going through a Divorce? Have a Child with Special Needs? Watch Out!
Determining whether or not you or a loved one is entitled to Social Security Income (SSI) can be tricky. SSI is a needs-based program that looks at income and assets to determine eligibility. In fact, income reduces or eliminates SSI payments. One way to ensure our clients keep their SSI is by using an assignment to a Medicaid payback Special…
An Invitation to Hear Haley Moss, JD – Practicing Attorney and First Openly Identified Person with Autism Practicing Law in Florida
I’m honored to be on the Board of Milestones Autism Resources, which is featuring Haley Moss, JD, as one of the keynote speakers for the Milestones National Autism Conference. Her address will be on June 12, 2019, in Independence, Ohio. Haley, an incredible spokesperson for the legal field and for persons with autism, is an associate at the Zumpano Patricios…
Illegal Delay of 2016 Equity in IDEA Regulations
On March 7, 2019, the US District Court in Washington D.C. ruled that the current Department of Education had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in failing to implement Obama-era rules which are intended to address the disparities in the treatment of students of color with disabilities. A summary of the action was issued by the Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys…
Oregon Class Action Lawsuit Defends Right to Full Day of School for Children with Disabilities
Quite a few of my clients have come to me for help when their child’s school day is made shorter than their typical peers. Sometimes, it is a matter of a bussing situation where the kids in special ed are on a bus that leaves 10 or 20 minutes before their typical peers. Other times, schools are sending their kids…
Considerations When Planning for Families with Special Needs
Recent changes in the laws have added new complexities and considerations when planning for a person with a disability. Although not all are changes to trust law, many of the programmatic changes impact how we handle special needs estate planning. The most important of these changes include: (1) the Special Needs Trust Fairness Law; (2) Medicaid expansion, which creates new…