Leading in a Lonely World Podcast: Meet Jamie Pagliaro, a Leader Who has Made His “Passion” for Helping Others His Life’s Work
Ruder Ware's Elder Law Team Recognizes National Special Needs Law Month - Part 2
Top 10 Actions (or Inactions), that Spur Special Education Impartial Hearing Requests for School Districts
Commonwealth Court voids Pennsylvania Department of Education’s newly imposed Age-Out Plan for failure to implement it in accordance with Pennsylvania Laws.* PSBA, Inc., et al. v. Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, Secretary of Education...more
As an attorney and a father of two special needs children, I uniquely understand the necessity of becoming a legal guardian for my children as soon as they reach eighteen years of age. Many individuals, however, may not...more
August is “National Make-a-Will” Month, the perfect opportunity to seriously consider your estate plan. Many delay this crucial task due to common misconceptions about what an estate involves. Here, we delve deeper into what...more
A supplemental needs trust (SNT) is an important estate planning tool for those with a special needs child. It ensures that your special needs child is taken care of after you are gone. Unlike other types of trusts, assets...more
Have you heard the terms “special” needs trust and “supplemental” needs trust and wondered what the difference is? The simple answer is that there’s no difference. Whether supplemental or special, these trusts serve the...more
Check out our April Elder Law and Special Needs newsletter! Our legal team explores important topics including beneficiary designations and the recent updates to the Medicaid divisor, which came into effect this month....more
Being a lawyer is undoubtedly demanding, but the challenges multiply exponentially when you add the responsibility of caring for a child with special needs. For women lawyers juggling these dual roles, finding balance and...more
Intellectual or developmental disability, known as IDD, affects approximately 7.39 million people in the United States, according to a 2019 estimate by the University of Minnesota. Typically present at birth or onsetting in...more
I was driving to work on August 24, listening to Lady Gaga on my Pandora radio station, when suddenly, I had a strong urge to call my younger daughter, Hannah. We talk regularly, so it isn’t unusual that I call her on my way...more
Maintaining independence is fundamental for people living with disabilities. Having mobility options allows people with certain disabilities to go to doctor’s appointments, grocery shop, visits friends, and keep a sense of...more
Estate planning can be a daunting task for individuals and families. The stakes can be high. The decisions are often numerous. Family dynamics frequently come into play. However, for those living with special needs or those...more
Starting this Fall, Ohio’s Dyslexia Law mandates that schools take a more holistic approach to dyslexia. For starters, school districts will have to screen all children in grades K-3 and students grades 4-6, if requested by...more
While public schools are required to serve children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), private schools are not required to meet the same standards. The IDEA provides: “[n]o...more
Under New York’s law and regulations, there are several well-settled guiding principles for physically interacting with students with disabilities: corporal punishment is prohibited; the use of aversive interventions has been...more
There may have been a time in your life when you had a piggy bank for your child – a fun and interactive way for you to teach money management, patience, and basic math. The money went in, but it was often difficult to...more
If you have a child or another loved one with special needs, it’s only natural to worry about their future. How can you make sure their financial needs are taken care of without jeopardizing their public assistance payments?...more
Among the costs of caring for a dependent with special needs are the fees for professional advice. Some families are tempted to save on these costs by setting up a plan on their own. This can be attractive because so much...more
Any parent of a child with a disability has likely heard of a “special needs trust.” As information has become more easily available online, a simple Google search for “special needs trust” is likely to garner hundreds of...more
A family with a disabled child faces difficult planning challenges. For many years, the most effective estate and financial planning tool for parents of a disabled child was a special needs trust (SNT). This trust type...more
Jamie Pagliaro is the co-founder, Executive Vice President and Chief Learning Officer of Rethink, a global health technology company that provides cloud based treatment tools, training, and clinical support, specifically for...more
On March 30, 2021, the New York Court of Appeals dealt a blow to the prosecutorial power of the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs (“Justice Center”). The Court, in People v. Viviani, et. al.,...more
While a will is one of the most important estate planning documents you can have, there are things that it won’t cover. A will is just one part of a comprehensive estate plan. A will is a legally-binding statement...more
My name is Attorney Jessica Merkel. As we shared earlier this month, October is Special Needs Law Month. Since this is part two of our two-part series, we wanted to recap that in our first part we shared with you some...more
Bricker attorneys Melissa Bondy and Katy Osborn will discuss ODE’s proposed changes to the Special Education Operating Standards and special education issues facing districts as they resume in-person instruction....more
Among the challenges of raising a child with special needs is figuring out how to provide for that child once you’re gone. If the child will never be able to earn a living, how can you determine how much of your own money to...more