Special Needs 101 - ABLE Accounts, Life Care Planning

How to establish health, educational and financial plans and services.

Most individuals with special needs, and the families who care for them, will want to know about these core concepts in managing ongoing care and financial well-being.

A capable special needs attorney will be able to give you expert guidance, but these following pages are designed to give you a basic understanding of them.

ABLE Accounts

Tax-free savings accounts that can be used to pay for disability-related expenses without affecting an individual’s eligibility for means-tested government programs.

Silhouettes lined up from birth to old age

Life Care Planning

Life care plans are a blueprint for caring for an individual with special needs from early childhood, through their schooling and into their adult lives. An attorney who focuses on this area of law can help you understand the options at various life stages and prepare for these transitions.

Special Education

Special education is usually high on a parent’s priority list. This page will give you an overview of the process and opportunities for children with special needs who attend public school.

Special Needs Trusts

A special needs trust is designed to enable an administrator to hold assets in trust for an individual with special needs. These assets are not counted when the individual is looking to qualify for certain programs such as Medicaid. There are a lot of rules and restrictions on these trusts.

Government Benefits

The government has several programs designed to assist people with special needs.
Learn about some of them here.

Ripped piece of paper with benefit text on a claim application