Resources
Special Needs Planning – June Legal Update
Special Needs News is an e-newsletter that brings you reports of legal developments and other trends of vital interest to those with special needs and their advocates. This newsletter is brought to you by Dana Perry and the other members of the Special Needs Planning Practice Group of Chambliss Law Firm.
Chambliss Law Firm Monthly Editorial
Don’t Settle for a One-Size-Fits-All Education
by Rebecca Miller, Special Needs Planning Attorney
Good news! A recent United States Supreme Court decision adopts a higher standard of education for children with disabilities and could improve educational progress for millions of students with disabilities. In Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, the Supreme Court made a monumental decision to increase the education expectations for children with disabilities which empower parents to demand more than a one-size-fits-all Individualized Education Plan, better known as IEP.
Endrew (Drew), a student with autism and attention deficit disorder, attended Douglas County schools in Colorado from preschool to fourth grade, but he was making little to no progress on the goals of his IEP. Despite the lack of progress, each year the school system continued to present Drew’s parents with an IEP that had the same basic goals and objectives. Frustrated with his lack of educational progress, Drew’s parents enrolled him in a private school. He made much better progress, both academically and socially, under the plan implemented by the private school. Consequently, his parents filed a complaint with the Colorado Department of Education, seeking reimbursement for the cost of the private school. When the school district refused to pay the cost of the private school, Drew’s parents filed a lawsuit. [Click to read the full article.]
Should a Parent Serve as Trustee of a Special Needs Trust?
A parent serving as trustee can confront many daunting problems involving trust laws and public benefits regulations that affect the administration of a special needs trust.
SSI’s Thorny Rules for “Deeming” a Parent’s Income to a Child
To determine a child’s eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the government doesn’t look at just the child’s income and assets, but also may consider a portion of the parents’.
– YOU’RE INVITED –
Inaugural Tri State Adult Autism Symposium Conference
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Chattanooga, Tennessee
This is the first autism conference east of the Mississippi River to focus totally on adult autism issues and was founded by an adult with autism. The event includes lunch, 10+ presentations, and 30+ exhibitors. Our very own Rebecca Miller, Peter Harrison, and Amy Boulware will be there to present.
For more information, visit the Inaugural Tri State Adult Autism Symposium Conference website.
