Is Your Child’s Disability Adversely Affecting Educational Performance? It can be confusing for parents to understand how their child’s disability may qualify...
Year: 2014
Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler >
Year: 2014
Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler >
When (and How) to create a Special Needs Trust
A Special Needs Trust is one that is designed to supplement the government benefits that your disabled child receives. Because of this, they are sometimes...
The benefits of a Supplemental Needs Trust for special needs children
As a child grows up, a parent’s biggest financial concern might be saving for college. But it might be wise to look ahead even further to help ensure your son...
Decoding 504 plans: What they mean for you and your child
Written by Jayne M. Wesler Esq. As a parent, the last thing you want is for your child’s disability to affect his or her ability to succeed in the classroom....
Using PLAAFP to help your child work toward higher achievement
Written by Staci J. Greenwald, Esq. The “Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance,” or PLAAFP, is the first written statement in the...
Understanding the dangers of seclusion and restraints in special education
The use of seclusion and restraint in schools for disciplinary and safety reasons is a difficult issue, especially in regards to severely disabled children....
What least “Restrictive Environment” means under the IDEIA?
The concept of “least restrictive environment” is a core element of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvements Act (IDEIA), and was a fairly...
Knowing when to get your child the help he or she needs
There is a wide range of severity of different childhood disabilities. Many conditions may not be readily apparent and may take years to identify and...
Researches note spike in U.S. Autism diagnosis
Autism has been a mysterious condition since it was first classified, and its cause remains largely unknown, even to this day. The fact that there is little...
Early childhood benefits under IDEIA
Much of the discussion pertaining to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) focuses on what it provides to the parents of...
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Latest Blog Posts
When Winter Makes Everything Harder: Supporting Your Child’s Social Life During the Coldest Months
If you're a parent of a child with special needs, you know that winter can feel like more than just a change of seasons. The shorter days, the indoor recess, the cancelled playdates because of weather—suddenly your child's social world shrinks at the very time when...
What Happens When a Child with an IEP Is Retained or Held Back?
Grade retention is always a fraught subject in education law. For a multitude of reasons, no student wants to be held back, and their parents or guardians would also much prefer they move up a grade with the rest of their cohort. For schoolchildren with IEPs, these...
Long-Term Care and Medicaid Planning
No one likes to think about the possibility of needing long-term care, but the statistics tell a sobering story: nearly 70% of Americans turning 65 today will require some form of long-term care services during their lifetime. In New Jersey, where the costs of care...
Planning for a Child with Disabilities as They Turn 18 in New Jersey
Turning 18 is a major event from both a social and legal perspective. Most teenagers and their families look forward to 18th birthdays because they represent a new stage of maturity and new opportunities. But for the parents or guardians of young people with...
HEART: A Valentine’s Day Guide for Parents of Children with Special Needs
On Valentine's Day, offer your child your HEART. No, I’m not talking about those funny candy hearts, nor do I refer to a store-bought card. No, your HEART is something far more valuable. It’s you, your presence, your understanding, and your unwavering commitment to...