Two Breaks for Disabled in New Tax Bill
The recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act threatened to remove some important provisions for persons with disabilities from the law. However, two important provisions were kept after the tough negotiations…
Two Different Types of Special Needs Trusts
This article is reprinted with permission of the Special Needs Alliance - www.specialneedsalliance.org. There are two types of Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), commonly designated as first-party and third-party SNTs. It is…
Trust Protectors for Special Needs Trusts
Loving parents set up a special needs trust (SNT) for their child with disabilities and name themselves as trustees. They intend to fund it with assets upon their deaths and…
Where Can Service Animals Go?
by Richard A. Courtney, CELA Service animals can change lives. My daughter, Melanie, who’s had service dogs for years, comments that beyond the many helpful tasks they perform and the…
Do a Letter of Intent for Your Child
A “Letter of Intent” is a detailed description of a child (or incapacitated spouse) with a disability, including explanations of his or her medical, physical, mental, emotional, family, social, religious,…
Governor Signs Into Law the Mississippi Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act
On April 11, Governor Phil Bryant signed into law S.B. 2311 creating the Mississippi Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. Pictured in the photo to the right are: Rep.…
Supreme Court Holds IEP for Special Needs Child Must Focus on Child’s Progress
Endrew F., an autistic child, received Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for several years from the Douglas County (CO) School District. When the District presented an IEP similar to past years,…
Nuts & Bolts of Income Tax for Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families
Families of children or adults with disabilities may encounter a variety of income tax issues related to financial management and medical care for those persons. This article by Elizabeth Gray,…
Many Have Trouble Navigating Medicare’s Complexities
More than 57 million seniors and disabled adults depend on Medicare, but too many people struggle to enroll and navigate the complexities of the federal health insurance program, a national…
Planning “Do’s and Don’ts” for Special Needs Families
Children and adults with disabilities face plenty of tough challenges in life. As the parent of an adult child with disabilities, I know! Failure to plan will lead to even…