mental health
-
Caregiver Help That Can Actually Help: Respite, Financial Assistance, and Where to Start
If you are a caregiver, there is a pretty good chance someone has told you: “Make sure you take care of yourself, too.” And then they gave you absolutely no idea how you are supposed to do that. Because taking care of yourself sounds great. But who is going to stay with your child? Who… Continue reading
-
When Is Guardianship Appropriate? Knowing When More Support Is Actually Necessary
We’ve talked about Supported Decision-Making. We’ve talked about powers of attorney. We’ve talked about patient advocate designations, HIPAA authorizations, representative payees, special needs trusts, and conservatorships. And after all of that, there is still an important question: When is guardianship actually appropriate? Because I don’t want to create the impression that guardianship is always wrong.… Continue reading
-
The Difficult Conversations Disability Forces Us to Have — and Why Every Family Should Have Them
There is something nobody tells you when you have a child with a disability. You are going to have conversations other parents may not have for another twenty years. Or thirty. Or ever. Not because you’re smarter. Not because you’re more prepared. And definitely not because you wanted to. Disability just has a way of… Continue reading
-
Supported Decision-Making: What Is an SDM Agreement and How Does It Work?
If you’ve been following my series about adulthood and disability, you’ve probably heard me talk about Supported Decision-Making, or SDM. And if you’re a parent who has spent years making appointments, answering questions, attending IEP meetings, managing paperwork, and helping your child navigate just about everything… you might be wondering: “Okay, but what does supported… Continue reading
-
Birth to 3: What Is Early Intervention?
Your child is under three. You have concerns. What do you do now? If you’re a new parent and you’re worried about your child’s development, you may hear someone say: “Have you contacted Early Intervention?” And if you’ve never heard that phrase before, you might be thinking: What exactly is Early Intervention? Is it therapy?… Continue reading
-
Special Needs Services From Birth to Adulthood: A Parent’s Roadmap
If you’ve just received a diagnosis for your child, you might be wondering: “Okay…now what?” And honestly? That’s a pretty reasonable question. Because there isn’t one giant “Special Needs Services” department that follows your child from birth through adulthood. Instead, you move through systems. Birth to 3. Preschool. School. High school. Adulthood. And every time… Continue reading
-
Guardianship and Alternatives: What Parents Need to Know When Your Child Becomes an Adult
Your child turns 18. There is a moment that sneaks up on a lot of special-needs parents. And suddenly, the person you have spent years taking to doctors, attending IEP meetings with, managing medications for, talking to therapists about, and helping make decisions for is legally an adult. You may still be doing most—or all—of… Continue reading
-
Caregiver Resources: Where Do You Even Start?
A general guide for finding help when you’re the person everyone depends on Let’s talk about something caregivers are really good at: Doing everything ourselves. Not because we necessarily want to. Because sometimes we don’t know what else to do. Someone needs an appointment. Someone needs transportation. Someone needs help bathing. Someone needs medication. Someone… Continue reading
-
What Makes a Good IFSP/IEP/CMH Adult Plan Goal?
Bad, Okay, Good & Best Examples of Measurable Goals If you’ve been involved with special-needs services for any length of time, you’ve probably encountered a few different plans. There might be an IFSP when your child is little. Then comes the IEP once they enter special education. And eventually, depending on the person’s needs and… Continue reading
-
Special Education Testing: What Are They Actually Testing My Child For?
Special education eligibility is generally determined through a comprehensive evaluation—not one single test. The school is looking at multiple sources of information to determine: Whether the child has a disability category recognized under IDEA. How that disability affects the child’s educational performance. Whether the child needs specially designed instruction and/or related services. Common types of… Continue reading
