Unemployment among persons with disabilities spiked in the second quarter of 2011, and continues to outpace the unemployment rate for other workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The jobless rate for Americans with disabilities is now 16.9 percent, up from 15.6 percent in May and tied with the record for the highest rate set in August 2009. The data covers those over the age of 16 who do not live in an institution.

This statistic erases the gains seen in April 2011, when unemployment dropped for the first time since January. The U.S. Department of Labor began tracking unemployment for Americans with disabilities in 2008. The first employment report was issued in February 2009, and are now released monthly.

Americans with disabilities are experiencing a jobless rate more than 80 percent higher than the rest of Americans, who are currently at 9.2 percent. The study also reported that 44.4 percent of disabled individuals who were unemployed in June had been jobless for 27 weeks or more.

The average number of Social Security applications per month is also now more than 300,000, up from an average of 200,000 before 2008, according to the United States Social Security Administration. This represents an increase of more than 27 percent from a year ago. The average cumulative wait time is now more than 700 days.

President Barack Obama announced on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in late July that the federal government would improve compliance with Section 508, which requires that federal agencies’ technology be accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 ensures that Americans with disabilities have equal access to federal job opportunities, requires the government provide the proper technology to let them perform their duties, and makes information more easily accessible.

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Tags: disability, unemployment

New York City’s educational resources and access to medical care have earned it a position in the top 10 places to live in the United States for people with autism, according to the world’s largest autism science and advocacy organization.

The organization, Autism Speaks, conducted an online survey of 800 parents of children with autism to study the quality of services provided in metropolitan areas throughout the country. New Yorkers said that they were satisfied with their child’s educational services, access to clinical and medical care, adaptable employer policies, nearness to outside services, and the recreational opportunities available to their child.

However, 75 percentage of respondents from areas such as Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, Florida, Michigan and California reported that they were satisfied with the resourced and opportunities available to their children.

The survey was designed to encourage conversation in the autism community, the organization said, and that while New York was ranked highly for those with autism, it is a struggle for parents to get services that benefit their children in other areas of the country. Autism Speaks said that it hopes the survey will “inform policy makers and leaders in local communities about the tremendous need for increased services and inspire action.”

In New York City, the law firm of Littman Krooks LLP firmly believes that children with autism deserve access to the health care they need and opportunities to help them succeed. Our New York special needs attorneys have decades of experience in courtrooms and settlements to uphold your child’s rights. To learn more, visit https://www.specialneedsnewyork.com/ or call 914-684-2100.
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Special Needs visit http://www.littmankrooks.com.

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Tags: autism

College is just ahead for many teens. It is an exciting time for them to branch out on their own and gain knowledge for their career path ahead. With a special needs child, there are unique concerns that must be addressed for the child to be set up for success.

Many colleges offer special accommodations for a special needs student, but they will only qualify if documentation is sent beforehand. Use these remaining weeks of summer to solidify any specific housing, transportation and educational needs they should have met.

Some colleges offer tutors or student advocates to help with daily campus life such as food preparation, hygiene and even note taking. Some of these programs can be free or at a reduced cost when parents show documentation of their child’s special needs. Special needs attorneys stress that it is vital to create documents to still be a part of the child’s decision making, especially when they have reached the adult age of 18. Many special needs children still need oversight and guidance on their health and financial decisions, and only documents set up before they land on campus will allow parents a right to be a part of this decision making.

Documents can be drafted so that professors and school administrators can share grades and any issues that come up with a parent. A qualified special needs planning attorney can help a client create a health care proxy to stay aware of any health issues that could come up. Also, power of attorney documents are helpful to address any legal or financial issues. Special needs planning lawyers will maximize the child’s government benefits and determine what type of trust is best to take care of college funds and needs, with the goal of not compromising the federal monies.

In New York, the law firm of LittmanKrooks LLP helps individuals and families have peace of mind that their child’s finances and health needs are met before their child starts the exciting college experience. Their New York special needs planning attorneys successfully help clients get access to benefits, set up the best trust for their situation, and uphold their rights to a college education. To learn more, visit https://www.specialneedsnewyork.com or call 914-684-2100.

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To learn more about New York
elder law, New York estate
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Special Needs visit http://www.littmankrooks.com

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A new study finds that health care access for children with Medicaid insurance is a systematic problem. People with Medicaid as their primary insurance were more likely to be refused by a medical practice or given an appointment that was close to a month away, even when they had a pressing medical issue.

Children with Medicaid-Children’s Health Insurance Program were turned down 66 percent of the time while those with private insurance were only denied 11 percent. The study, which was recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine, used secret shoppers to call 273 specialty practices to pose as parents wanting to get their child an appointment for an important health issue like seizures, asthma, broken bones, or diabetes.
The study showed that most Medicaid patients had to wait 22 days before seeing a specialist. The root of the problem seems to be money – Medicaid will pay $99.86 for an office visit while a private insurer will pay $160. Specialists in medical centers feel under pressure to go after the higher paying insurance method, the researchers said. The study titled “Auditing Access to Specialty Care for Children with Public Insurance” was conducted in Cook County, Illinois over five months.
In a recent New York Times article, doctors from across the nation echoed the study’s findings. As states are cutting Medicaid programs and doctors are pushed to bring in more money, children with Medicaid are seen as one of the last priorities. “It’s very disturbing,” said Dr. Karin Rhodes, who co-authored the study. “As a mother, if I had a kid who was having seizures or newly diagnosed juvenile diabetes, I would want to get them in right away.”
In New York, the law firm of Littman Krooks LLP firmly believes that children with Medicaid deserve equal access to health care and quality treatment. Our New York special needs attorneys have decades of experience in courtrooms and settlements to uphold your child’s rights. To learn more, visit https://www.specialneedsnewyork.com/
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Click here to see our updated list of ABC’s for IEPs.

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HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT…

…The voluntary registry for people with disabilities and special needs in Westchester County?

The Special Needs Registry (SNR) is a voluntary database of individuals who may require additional assistance in an emergency. The goals of the SNR are to maintain a voluntary registry of special needs residents who may require assistance in a disaster; assist local jurisdictions in response to emergencies by pre-identifying residents with special needs; and provide the option of pre-authorizing emergency response personnel. Any county resident with a physical, mental or developmental disability who would have trouble leaving their home quickly if told to do so is eligible for the SNR. The SNR is only intended for use by individuals who live independently, not individuals who live in a residential special needs facility. You can sign up for the SNR via:

1. Telephone by dialing 211 or (800) 899-1479;
2. Internet at www.westchestergov.com/specialneeds ; or
3. Mail by downloading and printing an application from the above website and submitting it by mail.

Submitting your application does not automatically guarantee inclusion in the SNR. Each application is screened and evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If your application is not approved, you will be notified within 45 days. It is also important to understand that the SNR and 911 are not the same thing. 911 must still be accessed in an emergency.

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As the spring season comes to a head, it is time to start thinking about summer services for students with disabilities.  Designed to assist in the maintenance of skills your child learns during the school year, extended school year services, or “ESY,” is available under the IDEA Regulations (34 CFR § 300.106) and offered pursuant to your child’s IEP.

In addition to regression and recoupment (i.e. is the child likely to lose critical skills or fail to recover these skills within in a reasonable time), whether the IEP team will determine that ESY is appropriate for your child will depend upon a number of factors, including but not limited to your child’s behavioral and physical impairments; his or her rate of progress; and the availability of resources.  The IEP team will also consider your ability, as Parents, to provide the structure your child needs at home.  It is important to keep in mind that ESY cannot be limited to particular disabilities or types of services.

While the school district will cover the cost of ESY, it is important to keep in mind that not all students will qualify for the service.  ESY is not “summer school.”  It is a service offered to students with disabilities who, in the past, have shown regression during vacations or other extended breaks from the school year.  As parents, note when you see a regression in skills, and when your child’s teachers or providers indicate to you that they see regression.  For example, it is necessary for your child to re-learn certain skills after the winter or spring breaks?  It is important to collect and compile information and documentation to support this regression so that the IEP team may consider ESY for your son or daughter.

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Welcome to the Littman Krooks special needs blog! Our philosophy is to empower families to advocate for their loved ones with special needs and to help them build fulfilling lives. To that end, we hope that our blog and our entire website will provide you with the information you need to navigate the complex world of special needs planning and education. Our regular blog will provide the most updated information available regarding current events and topics affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

We hope to provide an information hub where families can explore available benefits and resources. Our website will also provide families with information on financial planning, guardianship and transition planning. As professionals striving to provide support to families whose loved ones have disabilities, we constantly monitor the ever-changing world of special needs planning and special education advocacy. With federal and state budget cuts looming in the areas of special education and Medicaid, it is important that parents and caregivers stay apprised of what is happening, and we intend to provide families with the information as soon as it becomes available.

We welcome your comments. The issues are multifaceted, and we can all benefit from each other’s perspectives. We hope that together we can provide timely and important information that will assist families in planning for their loved ones.

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