A Brief Overview Full Article As a continuation to our article, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a monthly financial benefit from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to eligible children and adults. The SSA’s definitions of blind and disabled are the same for both adults and children, although there are some differences in eligibility requirements. Definitions Read More
Category: Your Young Persons Disability
Information on different disabilities to better inform you.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
A Brief Overview Full Article What Is SSI? Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a monthly financial benefit from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to people with limited income and resources who are age 65 or older, blind or disabled. Blind or disabled children, as well as adults, can get SSI. Eligibility Requirements To be eligible Read More
Stay Cool When Summer Heats Up
Summertime brings special challenges for families whose children have special needs. Some medical conditions and medications make individuals particularly susceptible to the heat. Be sure to check with your doctor about which medications might increase heat sensitivity. Keep in mind that extreme heat combined with humidity can make a person even more vulnerable. It’s harder Read More
Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth
A Brief Overview Full Article A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury that affects how the brain works. TBI can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. The exact definition of TBI, according to special education law, is referenced later. This injury can change how the person thinks, behaves, and moves. A traumatic brain Read More
Disability and Sexual Health Education
A Brief Overview Full Article Parents or guardians are the first and primary sexual health educators of children. What parents and caregivers believe, say, and do can have a powerful influence on the development of healthy sexuality in children. This article provides resources to support healthy sexuality for families and youth, including standards and instruction Read More
Advocacy Tips for Parents
When a child has a disability, parents often learn that getting their child’s needs met requires persistence, organization, and advocacy. Advocacy is an action. A person is an advocate when they organize the work and press onward until a goal is achieved. Laws that protect the rights of students with disabilities also protect parents as Read More
Adolescent Health Care Act Provides Options for Families Seeking Mental Health and Substance Use Help for Young People Resistant to Treatment
A Brief Overview The Adolescent Behavioral Health Care Access Act, passed into law by the Washington Legislature in 2019, gives parents and providers more leverage in treating a young person who will not or cannot independently seek medical help for a behavioral health condition. The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) hosts website links with information about Read More
Supported Decision Making is an Option for Adults with Disabilities
A Brief Overview Full Article When a young person turns 18, most decisions are now up to them. In Washington State, age 18 is the “age of majority,” which means a person 18 or older has the right to make their own decisions about education, work, money matters, voting and more. Note: In Washington the Read More
Families Who Receive In-Home Care Services: Take Note of 2022 Changes
A Brief Overview Everyone who gets state-funded in-home care in Washington is affected by a new employment structure for Individual Providers (IPs). The Consumer Direct Care Network of Washington (CDWA) is the new Consumer Directed Employer (CDE) for all individual providers of state purchased in-home care. The CDWA website offers support in multiple ways by Read More
Bullying at School: Resources and the Rights of Students with Special Needs
A Brief Overview Full Article Students with disabilities who are bullied at school have legal protections, and schools have added responsibilities to ensure their safety and well-being. When acts of bullying involve discrimination based on disability, race, sex, or religion, federal agencies classify those acts as harassment. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Read More
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Information and Resources for Families
A Brief Overview A short YouTube video by Osmosis.org provides an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A medical diagnosis of autism is not required for school-based evaluations or interventions. Read on for more information. Families concerned about a child’s development can call the state’s Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588. This toll-free number offers help in English, Read More
Willa Discovers Telehealth
Students: Get Ready to Participate in Your IEP Meeting with a Handout for the Team
Students of all abilities have the right to a solid education to get ready for adult life. Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) have a right to participate in IEP meetings to make sure the program is a good set-up for higher education, vocational training, work—whatever comes next after graduation. Schools are required to invite Read More
I want the kind with the people and the pictures
By John O’Brien After a Difficult Start… Institutionalized from age three to twenty-three in a place where “they treated us like animals”– Mike has composed a good life, taking many valued roles: husband, father, worker, home owner, friend, organizer, advocate, mentor, teacher, neighbor.[1] Anticipating the changes that come with aging, Mike requested funding for a person-centered Read More
A Mother Shares her Personal Journey of Welcoming a Baby with Down Syndrome
By Elizabeth Paschich The news that my son had Down syndrome came at a bad time. I was pregnant with our 6th child, and my husband and I were not on the same page about my pregnancy. Age 37, I qualified for extensive genetic testing that could identify the gender of my child at 11 Read More