Last week, I was in math class with my nephew “T”, who has autism. The math teacher was giving him some one-to-one help with a math concept that he was struggling with. The teacher was sitting right in front of T and T kept clearing his throat in a loudly manner and belching. I could see that the teacher was getting a little annoyed by T’s behavior. This made me think about care plans in special needs estate planning.
You see, T has something called a verbal tic and that is why he clears his throat and belches. I spent about 3 years telling T to have better manners and to not clear his throat and to excuse himself to another location when he needed to belch. Then, I discovered that his behavior is related to what is known as a verbal tic, and it is not something that he can control. I realized that I would never have told a person with a more well-known tic, a facial tic, for example, to stop twitching but that was essentially what I was asking T to do.
A care plan is an important component of a comprehensive special needs estate plan but it is often overlooked. Parents of a child with special needs should set up a care plan that explains their child’s disability and how it impacts daily life. They should include anything that will help their child receive appropriate care in their absence. They can explain triggers, medical conditions, sensory issues and anything that goes into the regular care of their child. Imagine what a difference it makes to a caregiver and a child with special needs, if the caregiver understands what it takes to meet the child’s needs.
A care plan is an important component of a comprehensive special needs estate plan but it is often overlooked. Parents of a child with special needs should set up a care plan that explains their child’s disability and how it impacts daily life. They should include anything that will help their child receive appropriate care in their absence. They can explain triggers, medical conditions, sensory issues and anything that goes into the regular care of their child. Imagine what a difference it makes to a caregiver and a child with special needs, if the caregiver understands what it takes to meet the child’s needs.
Written By: Genevieve Gribble
Genevieve is an attorney at law with Inter Vivos, PLLC with a specialty in Special Needs. She was raised with a brother with special needs and for the past 6 years has volunteered as a one-to-one aid at school for her nephew who has autism. Her passion is to help people who cannot help themselves by tearing down brick walls that prevent those with special needs from receiving the services they need. She loves estate planning and helping people get their affairs in order.
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