4 Ways to Protect Your Special Needs Child This Month

The month of October is National Special Needs Law Month. During this month, attorneys come together to brainstorm on solutions, ideas, resources, and advocacy work to find ways to continue to help those who are impacted by disability. As a legal community, lawyers work together with advocates, family members, caregivers, and health care providers, to continue to meet the needs of disabled individuals and their loved ones.

As a parent of a child with special needs, what can you do during this month? We know that you do not need a month that sets aside time to protect, care, or advocate for your child. For you, this is a daily concern and a task you actively participate in. All of us, though, can benefit from support, ideas, and resources to help us out each day. Let us share with you four ways you can help protect your special needs child during National Special Needs Law Month.

1. Revisit and evaluate the support you need from caregivers. You need the right team in place to support you and your disabled child each day. Depending on your child’s needs and his or her abilities, this may mean working with tutors, caregivers, or additional support staff at school. It also means working closely with teachers, doctors, and care providers to make sure your child has what he or she needs to continue to grow and thrive. Take time this month to pause and revisit existing care plans. It may be time to check-in and reevaluate daily schedules, support, and routines.

2. Review your legal documents. It is never the wrong time to check in on your legal planning documents to make sure that your disabled child is provided for both now and in the future. When it comes to your disabled child, he or she may be eligible for or already receiving valuable public benefits. You need to ensure that your legal planning preserves these benefits for your child. Do not wait to talk to your attorney to make sure that your legal planning documents, such as trust agreements, will ensure your child continues to receive his or her benefits even when you are no longer here.

3. Identify new technology options that can help you with caregiving. There are so many tools available today that can help you with your caregiving responsibilities. From medication management tools and prescription diaries to shared communication apps and scheduling software, there are a number of resources you may not have heard of before that could help you! Just a few examples that you can take a look at are CaringBridge and CaringVillage.

4. Research an idea, tool, or piece of information you have been putting on the “back burner”. We know that there just are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. We also know that when you are caring for a disabled loved one you want to ensure that you are doing the best that you can. We are all constantly inundated with information each day. Take the time to save articles, issues, and topics that you want to research and then make time to learn more. Although we know how hard it can be for you to make time, make this month the one where you can jump in and get started on this important process.

We know there is so much you have to complete on a daily basis that this list may seem daunting. Remember, we are your local community law firm and are here to help. Do not wait to ask us your questions. Further, if you believe your disabled child has been injured in any way, do not waste any time in scheduling a meeting with us to discuss your case.