Preparing for Adulthood: How to Help your Child with Disabilities

By Olivia Pollack

Helping your child with disabilities prepare to become an adult can be stressful. Here are some ways you can help.

Education
Every Individualized Education Program (IEP) review from the time your child turns 14 should include planning for their adult life. This plan should be based on their strengths and needs, and should include goals for life after high school and ways their school will help prepare them to achieve those goals.

Your child becomes their own decision maker for their IEP or 504 Plan when they turn 18. A parent/guardian may help with this process, but the 18-year-old gets to make the decisions.

Money
You can help your child with money management while allowing them to make their own decisions and build skills.

Social Security should do an Age-18 Redetermination before your child turns 18 if they receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). You can appeal the decision if your child’s SSI is denied after this review. Read the paperwork from Social Security carefully and be sure to appeal by the deadline.

Your child can save money without losing their SSI through special accounts. These include Special Needs Trusts, STABLE accounts, or PASS accounts. Your child also can work while receiving SSI. They will need to update Social Security about any changes in income. Your child will need a representative payee if they cannot manage their SSI payments on their own. This person or an organization will help your child manage their money.

General Decision Making
As an adult, your child should have as much independence as possible and the opportunity to make their own decisions. Together, figure out what they can do alone, what they can do with support, and what they will need someone else to do for them. You can help by making a list of which people or services can help them in different areas.

If they need more support, they can sign forms giving you permission to help. Releases of information allow you to talk with their care providers. Powers of attorney can be used if your child can make their own decisions but wants you to be able to make some decisions for them. Guardianship is an option if your child cannot make their own decisions. Guardianship should be a last option if other less restrictive decision-making supports will not work for your child.

Resources
The Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation work with education and employment. County Probate Courts have information about guardianship. Organizations such as The Arc (thearc.org) also assist people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

This article was published in Legal Aid's newsletter, "The Alert" Volume 38, Issue 3, in December 2022. See full issue at this link: “The Alert”- Volume 38, Issue 3 – Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.