Loud & Clear: Family Conversations is written by our member attorneys and guests for individuals with disabilities and their families. We tackle the day-to-day and long-range issues that affect the quality of life. Readers are welcome to comment on the discussion, though we can not answer legal questions here. For answers to specific legal questions, please find an attorney in our Directory.
Caregiver Burnout Hurts the Entire Family
By Heather Nadler, CELA, Tucker, GA Caregiver burnout is a destructive syndrome. Individuals become so involved with the ongoing needs of a loved one with disabilities that they neglect their [...]
After the Evaluation . . .
"The child you take home is the same one you brought in." By Chris Kelsey, Board Member, Piedmont Down Syndrome Support Network Parents' first experience of their child's developmental evaluation [...]
Tax Tips for Families with Special Needs
By Richard L. Sayre, Esq., Spokane, WA It's time to begin organizing your tax documents, an exercise that can be particularly confusing when a family member has special needs. Here [...]
Caregiver Agreements Can Clarify Family Roles
By Leonard F. Berg, CELA Paying a relative for care of a frail parent or of an adult child or sibling with disabilities is an option that sometimes solves a [...]
The Olmstead Decision and Mental Health Systems Reform
By Ronald S. Honberg, Director of Policy & Legal Affairs, National Alliance on Mental Illness In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in which it found that the [...]
Transition Planning Can Shape a Life
By Andrew H. Hook, CELA Transition planning, the preparation of a young person with special needs for adulthood, should begin before the student turns 16. Many school divisions choose to [...]
Structured Settlements Don’t Always Make Sense
By Evan Krame When an individual with disabilities is anticipating a personal injury award, spreading guaranteed payments over time through a "structured settlement" is a popular option. The attractive features [...]
Alzheimer’s Alters Family Roles
By Leonard F. Berg, CELA Alzheimer's is a disease that affects the entire family in major ways, but given that its onset is often gradual, there are opportunities to make [...]
Don’t Forget Living Space Adaptations When Planning for Special Needs
By Karen Kirks Alexander, AIA, President, KKA Architecture, PA As families and their attorneys plan for the special needs of their loved ones, critical health care is always rightfully at [...]
Preventing the Abuse of Individuals with Disabilities
By Jo-Anne Herina Jeffreys, Esq. It's well documented that individuals with disabilities are far more likely to suffer abuse and violence than the rest of the population. They're often isolated, [...]
Early Intervention Can Change a Life
By Robert F. Brogan, CELA At one time, it was common for neurologists to wait until a child was about five to broach the topic of developmental delays with parents. [...]
Military Families Face Legal Inequities
By Jeremy Hilton I am a Navy veteran and spouse to an active duty Air Force member. After our daughter, Kate, was born with a number of significant disabilities, I [...]
The Emotional Journey of Families with Special Needs
By John Chimarusti, Ph.D, LMSW During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a concept that was commonly referred to as "chronic sorrow" for parents who had children with special needs. [...]
VA Benefits: A Broken Bureaucracy
By Pi-Yi G. Mayo, CELA It's been said that navigating the Social Security and Medicaid systems is a "sprint," while applying for Veterans Administration (VA) benefits is a "marathon." The [...]
Divorce and Children with Special Needs
By Lili A. Vasileff There are few challenges more difficult than going through divorce and having a child with special needs. As a divorced, single parent of a beautiful daughter [...]
What Makes Autism so Uniquely Stressful?
By Michelle DePolo, Psy.D., Pediatric Psychologist, KidsLink Neurobehavioral Center It has been well established that parents of children with autism experience greater stress than parents of children with other developmental [...]
The Search for Community-Based Jobs
By James McCarten, Esq. Students with disabilities, just like every other young person, want a fulfilling career. A job is the foundation of independence, a gateway to community life and [...]
The Katie Beckett Difference
By Robert B. Fleming, CELA Katie Beckett, who died recently at the age of 34, directly changed the lives of more than half a million children with disabilities. She inspired [...]
False Arrest
Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System By William King Self, Jr., CELA There are large numbers of underserved individuals with mental illness in communities across the U.S.--largely due the [...]
How to Fight Bullying
By Judith C. Saltzman Parents increasingly recognize the dangers of bullying. One nationwide survey finds that 30 percent of parents with kids ages 12-17 fear bullying more than kidnapping! Children [...]