Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast

Are you ready to untangle the complexities of transition planning and become an effective advocate for your disabled person? Host Annette Hines, founder of Special Needs Law Group and Special Needs Family Services brings you an episode that can be a beacon to guide you through the maze of supports and resource systems. Whether you're a young disabled person stepping into adulthood, a caregiver stepping in for a sibling, or a professional wanting to offer the best for your clients, this episode promises to be a haven of insights. Let's begin by exploring person-centered planning. Identifying key questions, making sure the disabled person's voice is at the center of the life plan, and putting together an appropriate support team are all vital. But that's not all! We move forward into the unknown terrain of flexibility in planning and the pivotal role of evaluations and assessments in making transition as smooth as possible. There's also a discussion about how to navigate public benefits, housing, and state agencies, and even the legal decision-making process including understanding guardianship, supported decision-making agreements, power of attorney, and healthcare. Lastly, we invite you to check out and enroll in our exciting online transition planning course, the Special Needs Advocacy & Planning Masterclass (SNAP). Designed for parents, caregivers, professionals, or disabled adults, this on-demand course offers the ability to design a personalized disability support and life plan through video modules, a course and workbook. With the optional group coaching sessions, participants receive an individualized support network and a platform to discuss and learn from others embarking on the same transition journey. We look forward to welcoming you on this journey to become an empowered advocate! You can check out the course online and even get a free Disability Support Plan Worksheet: enroll.specialneedsfamilyservices.com/p/advocacy-planning-masterclass If you have questions about the course or coaching programs, we invite you to schedule a call with our team here: calendly.com/imartinez-31/specialneedsacademy

Have you been searching for a law firm that understands the unique challenges of your family? We can help you at Special Needs Law Group put legal planning in place to protect you and your loved ones now and in the future. Book a free call today with our team or contact us via our website: specialneeds-law.com/contact.

Hold your breath as you plunge into an awe-inspiring journey with Raja Marhaba, Special Education Advocate, Author (UNSTOPPABLE), and Founder of The Jonathan Foundation for Children with Learning Disabilities. Embark on a monumental David and Goliath journey that showcases a mother's determination in the face of adversity. Raja's struggles with a broken special education system and her relentless pursuit of justice for her children are nothing short of extraordinary. Hear her riveting story as she fearlessly battled her way to the Ninth Circuit Federal Court and bear witness to the sacrifices she made for her children's rights. She documents her experience and what she learned in her book, Unstoppable: A Parents' Survival Guide for Special Education Services with an IEP or 504 Plan. Travel further down Marhaba's 26-year journey as she highlights the pitfalls and power dynamics of a faulty special education system. Feel the weight of the financial costs and the resilience required for navigating these murky waters. This episode unfolds the strength of a parent's love, shedding light on the lengths one will go to ensure their child's right to a free and appropriate education. Marhaba's compelling narrative serves as a beacon of hope for those embarking on a similar path. Her tireless community service has been recognized through awards including The 2021 The Diane Lipton Award, The Daily Point of Light Award, and the Prestigious Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry. Finally, you'll be privy to her transformative journey from middle-class living to becoming a relentless advocate for education. Learn about the faith that kept her going, her pro bono work, and involvement in the fight against child trafficking. Join us to revel in the power of advocacy and resilience. This is an episode that is bound to leave you inspired and educated. Connect with Raja Marhaba: Website: https://thejonathanfoundation.org and https://unstoppableadvocacy.com/About Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJonathanFoundation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejonathanfoundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raja-marhaba-5a985b14

Have you been searching for a law firm that understands the unique challenges of your family? We can help you at Special Needs Law Group put legal planning in place to protect you and your loved ones now and in the future. Book a free call today with our team or contact us via our website: specialneeds-law.com/contact.

The end of a year tends to have people thinking about what they should do to plan for the new year and what changes they may need or want to make. While fitness and health goals are generally always on that list, so is financial planning for the future. Financial planning in general can seem to be a daunting task but it becomes a bit more challenging for special needs families and planning for your disabled child’s future.

On this week’s podcast episode, Annette speaks with James “Jim” Grace, the Director of Wealth Management with Silver Pine Capital. Jim, who has been a financial advisor for over 12 years, has taken on a more “person centered” approach to financial planning and working with special needs families with complex issues. Jim also has a podcast called The Financially Mindful Podcast, which offers insight into various aspects of financial planning.

The financial planning approach Jim takes with his clients is not the traditional sit with an advisor, pay an upfront fee, send over your financial information, and then wait a short time for your financial plan to be created and the report sent to you. Jim feels this approach does not allow for changes and updates that may need to happen over the next few months/years as your financial situation and goals change.

A More Personalized Family Approach

At Silver Pine Capital, their approach is to sit with a client to determine what they are looking to accomplish, determine how much time they will need to spend with the client over the next few months, generate the fee and then divide that by 12 and bill monthly. This allows them to start with the client’s current financial position, meet on a regular basis at least once a month and build their financial plan over time. Sometimes this is referred to as “financial coaching,” where someone spends more time with you to assist you in your financial plan.

With this more personalized approach, they are able to develop a relationship with a special needs family, find out what is important to them, assist them in getting organized and then offering recommendations as they move along according to where the family is currently and what they hope to get to. They become part of your family’s “team” for financial planning.

3 Steps to Begin Your Financial Planning

Jim says there are roughly 3 steps you can work on to get your financial planning started. First, take a breath then get yourself organized. Pull

Have you been searching for a law firm that understands the unique challenges of your family? We can help you at Special Needs Law Group put legal planning in place to protect you and your loved ones now and in the future. Book a free call today with our team or contact us via our website: specialneeds-law.com/contact.

Please join us for the second episode of our Spotlight Series: A Focus on Education. We are excited to bring you Alexandra Ullrich, the Program Manager and Co-Creator of the Easter Seals program, College Navigator. Alexandra helped start this program in 2018, and now it has over one hundred clients. The College Navigator provides individualized services in person and virtually to college students with disabilities supporting their goals, strengths, and needs and not necessarily in their subject of study. The most common area of support is executive functioning, students learn to avoid cramming a 20-page paper the night before it is due. Other areas of support include teaching self-advocacy in authoring emails, working on group projects, and speaking with teachers, as well as learning to access numerous services that colleges provide like career services and resources in the local community.

The transition to college is a momentous time in a young person’s life as they head out on their own for the first time without consistent parental support. We hope you will join us to learn more about the Easter Seal’s College Navigator and how they help prepare and support college students for employment and independent living.

Have you been searching for a law firm that understands the unique challenges of your family? We can help you at Special Needs Law Group put legal planning in place to protect you and your loved ones now and in the future. Book a free call today with our team or contact us via our website: specialneeds-law.com/contact.

In the quiet moments of caregiving, my daughter Elizabeth showed me that the essence of success is far deeper than material achievements.

In this episode of Parenting Impossible, I share the journey of raising my daughter Elizabeth, who taught me the true meaning of success. From navigating her rare mitochondrial disease to founding Special Needs Family Services, this podcast is about finding resilience and building a thriving community for special needs families.

In this episode, you will hear:

• My reflections on what it means to be a successful and happy person, as inspired by my daughter Elizabeth.
• Insights into the challenges and lessons I learned from raising a child with special needs.
• The evolution of my advocacy work and the creation of support systems for special needs families.
• The launch and purpose of our membership community on Mighty Networks for real-time collaboration and support.

Engage with us:

Join our community: Circle of Care

Visit: https://annettehines.com/

Read Butterflies and Second Chances

LinkedIn: @annette-hines-snc

Instagram: @parentingimpossible

Facebook: @SpecialNeedsCompanies

Twitter: @SpecialNeedsCo

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