From the Kansas City Star:

An estimated one in 26 American families is raising children with disabilities, yet more than 80 percent of parents of these children have not established a special-needs trust.

A special-needs trust provides financial protection to those with disabilities, and also preserves their eligibility for Medicaid, Social Security income and other need-based benefit programs.

Experts say such a trust could preserve medical benefits worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of the individual. The trusts help people get services they are entitled to receive through government programs.

The story contains tips for doing financial planning for children with disabilities, as well as resources for more information.

Jeff D. Opdyke, writing in the Wall Street Journal, says he and his wife were skeptical when their daughter’s speech therapist recommended tripling her weekly sessions at a cost of nearly a thousand dollars a month. Their insurance provider doesn’t cover the service, and their personal finances can’t stretch indefinitely. When should they decide enough is enough?

… at some point, most of us in this situation have to face the fact that our resources are limited, especially when money doesn’t guarantee a quick cure, or perhaps even a cure at all.

… Throwing money at her disability seems the only option at the moment. Still, Amy and I know we can’t continue funding this cost for a long time. At some point, we’re going to have ask if this is really something that money can fix … or if this is simply who our daughter is.

From ESPN2, on Youtube:

Adam Ragan is a member of his brother David’s NASCAR racing crew. Says David: “He overcomes whatever obstacles are thrown at him in his life, so I think it makes us do a little better job at what we’re doing.”

A mortar shell in Iraq shattered Ivan Castro’s eyesight and maybe his military career. Now he’s on a new mission: proving to the Army and the world that he’s still fit to serve.

Writing in Money Magazine, George Mannes profiles an Iraq veteran who was injured and blinded by shrapnel fire. First Lieut. Ivan Castro’s story is a window on the complex physical, emotional and financial difficulties that face veterans returning with disabilities. Money magazine arranges for Castro and his wife to meet with a financial planner who advises them to start exploring new career opportunities and invest their disability payout money wisely.

Related story: For returning soldiers who have major injuries, figuring out how to get compensation can be tricky

Column by Richard J. Dalton Jr. in Newsday:

Adults with autism spectrum disorders are now achieving greater levels of independence than ever before, and with their increased autonomy come concerns about whether they can successfully manage their own financial affairs in a world they don’t completely understand.

Parents worry that these young people can be too naive and trusting to successfully engage in complex financial transactions, and that they may become easy targets for those seeking to take advantage of them. Parents are increasingly considering seeking legal guardianship for their adult children, which would give them the right to make medical or financial decisions on their adult child’s behalf.

(more…)

“Finding Amanda” aired on CNN last night. (Sadly, no links are available as of now. If anyone finds one, I hope you’ll let me know.)

Medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta visits with self-advocate Amanda Baggs, as well as with author Ralph Savarese and his son D.J. Their message: people with autism deserve to be respected and celebrated, not treated as a problem that needs to be “fixed.” Estee Klar-Wolfond, executive director of The Autism Acceptance Project, is also featured.

Since I can’t present the link to last night’s show, here’s one to an earlier blog post by Gupta about Amanda, a young woman from Vermont who lives independently and communicates via computer. Her message is a powerful one:

“Listen to other autistic people. In fact, expose autistic children to a wide variety of autistic adults. It may be the autistic adults who do have either typing or speech who are far more equipped to be able to communicate with other autistic people.”

And here’s a Youtube video called “Autism in the media” that critiques coverage of autism as biased in favor of language calling for cure rather than acceptance. Definitely worth a watch.

From U.S. News & World Report, an advice column offering tips for dealing with the financial upheaval caused by an adult son’s recent brain injury.