Parents who have a child with special needs in school will meet annually with the school district to develop an IEP (Individualized Education Program). These meetings can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what to expect or are not prepared.

The Special Needs Trust Fairness Act, federal legislation that will allow people with disabilities to create their own special needs trusts instead of having to rely on parents, grandparents, guardians or a court, has been enacted.

The Department of Health and Human Services recently investigated more than 200 instances of fraud and patient neglect in Medicaid-funded programs that provide caretakers for children, adults and the elderly. 

It is often necessary to modify a home in one way or another to accommodate a person with special needs. But if the individual is the beneficiary of a special needs trust (SNT) and trust funds might be used to pay for modifications or repairs to a home that the beneficiary doesn't own, things can get complicated.