Resources
Special Needs Planning – November 2018 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 Rebecca Miller and the other members of the Special Needs Planning Practice Group of Chambliss Law Firm.
Chambliss Law Firm Monthly Editorial
Review Your Child’s Individualized Education Program
by Rebecca Miller
If you have a child with a disability, the beginning of a new school year is a good time to review your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide a “free appropriate public education” to students with disabilities and provides funding to assist schools in educating these students. A major component of the IDEA is the development of an IEP for each student with a disability. An IEP is a program of specially designed instruction for students with disabilities. It should describe the child’s level of academic achievement and performance and the effect of the disability on the child’s performance, set measureable goals, and specify the special education services to be provided. These plans are developed by the school with the input of the parents, and an IEP should be in place by the beginning of the school year.
Who Can Set Up the ABLE Account?
ABLE accounts, new tax-free saving accounts for people with disabilities, hold great promise for special needs planning. But among the many questions surrounding ABLE plans is who can open accounts? Only the person with a disability? Parents? Other relatives? Friends?
Social Security Payments, Medicare Premiums and Deductibles, to Rise in 2019
Social Security payments are set to grow next year, although for some recipients the extra income will be slightly offset by an increase in Medicare premiums and deductibles.
New Law Mandates Creation of a Bill of Rights for Air Travelers with Disabilities
It may soon be a new day for airline travelers with disabilities. In a groundbreaking development, a new law directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to create a bill of rights for passengers with disabilities to protect their right to fly free of discrimination.
