Planning for Life After School

Ms. Helene F. Craner, L.M.S.W., the Associate Director of the Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc., conducted a workshop on “Life After High School,” co-sponsored by the National Autism Association -New York Metro Chapter, on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

Ms. Craner reminded the audience that “time flies and before we know it; our children on the spectrum have suddenly grown up” and that it is critical to plan – and plan early - for “Life After High School.” “In the eyes of the law, anyone who is 18 years old is an adult regardless of any disabilities. The transition from a child to an adult brings with it a whole special set of challenges for the young adult and his or her parents,” she said.

Ms. Craner explained the transition from the educational system to adult services – which, depending at least in part on the type of diploma a student achieves – occurs, at the latest at age 21. Ms. Craner walked the group through the period of transition and discussed how to prepare. While discussing the federal Individuals with Disability Education Act (“IDEA”), she outlined the rights and entitlements of transitioning students. She highlighted the mile posts on this timeline to adulthood and pointed out things that need to be done for a successful transition.

Ms. Craner explained that, “The parents should start to address work and career goal before middle school. If possible, the child should be given an allowance and be taught money management. By the age of 12-14, the student and family should participate in level I vocational assessment. Student should learn about different types of high school diplomas offered in NY State during the middle school years. At the age of 15, transition goals should be part of the IEP and from then on, transition should be discussed at every annual IEP meeting. A valuable gift is the gift of travel training and other transportation options that parents can give to their teenager.”

After leaving the educational system and the protections afforded by the IDEA, a young adult must prove that he is disabled to be eligible for public services. To prove eligibility, records such as IEP documents, psychological and physical evaluations, and disability determinations come in handy. She emphasized the value of good record keeping starting when your child first begins to receive services.

Ms. Craner explained that the intake to the N.Y. State’s Office of the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) in order to receive adult services is facilitated through its contracted agencies and borough wide offices. The child and the family must get through a long waiting list, psychological tests, reviews, and lot of paper work to establish eligibility for OMRDD services. She distributed contact information for various offices in the department of education, OMRDD, article 16 clinics, adult mental health services, independent living services, and tools for planning for employment.

She went on to explain that, because a child legally becomes an adult at age 18, there are additional safeguards parents need to address for children with disabilities. For example the parents should have planned for guardianship by that time. Financial planning, including applying for Medicaid and SSI also should be in place.

NAA-NY Metro thanks Ms. Craner for providing this important information to our families.

Ms. Craner can be reached at Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc located at 116 East 16^th Street, 5^th Floor, NY, NY 10003. Tel: 212-677-4650. email: hcraner@resourcesnyc.org. The organization’s website www.resourcesnyc.org. details the many services the organization provides to New York City residents, including training sessions. Further, access to a database of approximately 8,000 programs specific to special needs individuals can be found at www.resourcesdatabase.org.

Classical Homeopathy and Autism

Pierre Fontaine with Amy Fisch and Sujata Setya

On Feb. 23, Pierre Fontaine gave a fascinating lecture on homeopathy. The audience was riveted as he demonstrated his history taking methodology, and how he elicits key information that leads to the root state. Pierre Fontaine explained how homeopathic remedies are different from biochemical treatment. We are bio-dynamic, and homeopathy directly supports the bio-dynamic system. He explained that illness always manifests itself on the physical, mental and emotional plane simultaneously.

In his first session, Pierre Fontaine interviews the mother or father in a session that can take up to three hours. Yes! Three hours! With targeted questioning Pierre brings one of the parent to a expressive state that brings out the root state of the child. This is a way for Pierre Fontaine to bridge into the child’s problem. Once the root state is determined, the relevant remedy is recommended. Two children presenting with identical symptoms, might be prescribed two entirely different remedies, because their root state is not the same. The remedy is just one pill; or a diluted drop of liquid. The goal of the remedy for ASD children is to achieve spontaneous eye contact, spontaneous speech, and spontaneous interaction. According to Pierre Fontaine, this is the core that needs to be addressed.

The remedy may take effect quickly or may take time. According to Pierre Fontaine, finding the remedy can be the easy part; case management is the hard part. You have to watch and observe the child carefully to achieve reversal. Once the child starts to recover, he or she may display some emotions such as hugging too strongly or speaking inappropriately perhaps because they are unable to deal with their new-found awareness of the external world. These issues generally disappear over time.

Tax Deductions for Parents with Special Needs Children

It’s that time of the year!

On March 3, 2010, NAA New York Metro invited Mark L. Berger, CPA, and Kim Mack Rosenberg to present on this timely topic. We had a standing-room only.

Mark Berger is the President of M.L. Berger & Company, Ltd, is a CPA with 20 years of experience, and a parent of a special needs child. Kim Mack Rosenberg is an attorney, is Vice-President and Treasurer of the NAA-New York Metro Chapter, and a savvy mother of a special needs child, who has done extensive research in this area and has many years of experience in developing a system to organize and document one’s deductions. Mark outlined the tax laws that pertain to individuals with special needs and highlighted the many (sometimes unexpected!) expenses that may qualify as medical tax deductions. Kim translated those principles into the techniques of organizing, documenting and substantiating an effective case for tax deductions.

The discussion was highly interactive with attendees raising key issue of particular concern to them. Mark and Kim provided very comprehensive handouts. Mark prepared a list of potential deductions that are relevant to special needs families and Kim provided a write up of her organizational strategies. Mark also provided copies of IRS Publication 502 – a great resource on medical deductions. Kim shared the basic form she uses to track her deductions as well as an annotated copy of an insurance explanation of benefits (“EOB”), showing where to find amounts that insurance might not have paid that may be deductible.

Mark explained that only medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of a family’s adjusted gross income are potentially deductible. The IRS has defined medical expenses in its Publication 502. Many parents were excited to hear that, besides the straightforward medical expenses like doctor’s visits, items like therapeutic schools, therapies, biomedical treatments, transportation related to medical expenses, and a number of other things may be deductible with appropriate substantiating information. Mark discussed with parents some of the limits on these deductions as well as what you need to show that your deductions are appropriate. Parents learned that a number of surprising things might be eligible as medical expenses.

Mark elaborated on Flex Accounts – which, he explained, for some families may be better than the 7.5% deduction. He also emphasized that one has to be careful not to take a second deduction, i.e. any expense credited to a Flex Account cannot be itemized as a tax deduction. Mark also discussed that married couples discuss with their own tax professional whether “Married Filing Separately” status made sense for them – he explained that for some families, this worked out better.

Kim offered a prescription for “how to prepare for your tax return” and tackle the mounds of documents and receipts that parents amass. The first rule of business: Get a record-keeping system that works for you. Next, file regularly. It doesn’t matter whether you use Quicken or a similar computer program or plastic files from the Container Store – file regularly. And then, back it up, be it on a hard drive, a flash drive, or in cyberspace.

Kim uses a pair of colorful plastic files that she has used for years (they are nice and sturdy) – but she reminded us that, while this worked for her, it was just an idea – we need to experiment to find what is right for each of us, otherwise, you won’t use it. Her large file is compartmentalized for Flex Spending to be submitted, Flex pending, Flex reimbursed, Insurance to submit, pending and paid as well as categories for medical deductions relevant to her family. The small file is for ‘small’ receipts like tolls, cab, groceries, prescriptions, etc. She explained how she processes flex spending and insurance claims -- as each file is processed, the paperwork moves from one compartment to the next, until the item is closed. She can then use these organized documents to make tax time more efficient for herself and her accountant.
She also discussed ways to track mileage, public transportation and taxis, and even ways to figure out whether the deduction for special foods – if available to you – is worth it for your family, since it is a lot of work figuring out the deductible amounts.
Hands shot up!
Attendees offered their tips – great tips!
And there were more questions, tips, and ideas that the audience shared.

Here is the handout for Tax Issues for Special Needs Families.

Thank you Kim!
Thank you Mark!

Sabeeha Rehman

Special Diets for Autism Fair

Beth Monterosso, Mary Hernandez, and Sabeeha Rehman at NAA NYM Booth

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On Feb. 9, NAA NY Metro's Staten Island branch organized a Special Diets for Autism Resource Fair sponsored by the PTA of PS 37R on Staten Island.

Mary Hernandez, NAA New York Metro's liaison for the Staten Island branch, was instrumental in organizing the event, making the arrangements, and involving and integrating the chapter's activities with that of PS 37 and PATH. Mary contacted all the merchants who came to provide samples and information about their products. Participating vendors displayed their wares and offer free samples of their foods to the visitors who stopped by. Six gift certificates from local merchants were given out as door prizes and many offered discount coupons.

NAA New York Metro had a booth and had the opportunity to highlight the services that the chapter brings to families, educators and caregivers affected by ASD. The PATH Family center gave a presentation on its new facility where it provides recreational, nutritional, and educational services, as well as biomedical counseling.

Mary had prepared give-aways - brown bags packed with donated goodies from health-food vendors, individually packaged. Attendees took home a nicely packaged gift-bag of goodies for their children to savor.

Many thanks to PS 37R for the opportunity and for hosting the event.

Great job, Mary.

Sabeeha Rehman

Research Study: Request for Participation

By: Abbie Connolly

Finding a cure for autism is essential, but it is a long process. I am running a study which may help children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and their families now. My name is Abbie Connolly and I am a doctoral candidate at the City University of New York. The subject of my research is the possible connection between language and behavioral levels of children with ASD and maternal stress and family functioning. I am hoping that my research may help programs develop more effective strategies for parents and families with children on the Spectrum in coping with the symptoms of autism

The participants in my study would be mothers of children with ASD. The children must be between the ages of 6-12 years old. They must be diagnosed with ASD (autism, Asperger's Disorder or PDD-NOS) by a medical doctor, neurologist, psychiatrist or licensed psychologist. The data will consist of a series of well-known questionnaires and background information for the mother to complete and one questionnaire for the child's teacher.

I assure you there are several steps to ensure the participants' privacy. I was approved by CUNY's Independent Review Board (#09-09-1836). If you would like to participate, please email your name and address to: connollycuny@aol.com and I will send you a letter of introduction and a consent form with a self addressed stamped envelope via post. When I receive signed consent, I will send you a packet of the questionnaires along with the teacher's questionnaire along with self addressed stamped envelopes. You may stop participation at any time. Please feel free to contact me at my email address if you have any questions.

Abbie Connolly

The NAA New York Metro chapter does not endorse any treatment, therapy, diet, protocol, nor any provider, individual or group. Any information provided at NAA-NYM presentations, meetings, on our website, or on our blog is provided for informational purposes only. Parents must of course make their own decisions concerning any treatment, therapy or provider. NAA-NYM recommends that families consult with an experienced doctor or other professional before commencing treatments or therapies for their children.

Laura Hynes, from ExtraoRDInaryminds, Speaks on RDI

Laura Hynes, from extraoRDInaryminds.org, spoke to the NAA-NY Metro Chapter about Relationship Development Intervention (RDI.) RDI is a treatment for individuals with neurodevelopmental problems which trains parents to engage in dynamic activities with their children so they can move away from static, rigid patterns of behavior.

Laura explained the ways in which neurotypical brains form connections allowing different areas of the brain to collaborate in a flexible way and how "dynamic connectivity" in typical brains allows a person to respond to changing and complex situations quickly and, when needed in an innovative way. That contrasts with ASD brain development where there is a rigidity in the connections and an underconnectivity, leading to a more rigid reliance on learned rules and static situations. She discussed the way the static intelligence (i.e., what we know) combines with dynamic intelligence (i.e., what we do with what we know) to create fully developed brain function.

RDI aims to develop that dynamic element for our children so that they are able to fully participate in all aspects of their lives. Laura discussed the importance of experience sharing language in reaching our children and drawing then out. She offered a number of easy "foundational" tips that parents could start using right away: comment (on actions, offering opinions and ideas), which is more open-ended and less predictable, rather than ask questions designed to elicit a specific response; use less language and more non-verbal communication (body language, facial expression, gesture); use more indirect prompts and fewer direct prompts. She also discussed creating opportunities of "productive uncertainty" where a child still feels safe but can be challenged and become curious - productive uncertainty is an opportunity for cognitive growth because it stretches you.

In RDI parents are their child's guides. While parents work with an RDI consultant to set goals and learn RDI techniques to achieve the goals, it is a parent-driven program, with the parents "doing RDI" with the child, not a therapist. By making parent the providers of the therapy, RDI respects and celebrates the parent-child connection.

To learn more about RDI, you can contact Laura Hynes. Here is an excerpt of her presentation:

Next Generation Beverage Makes A Generous Donation to the National Autism Association

Rich Wilson, Kim Mack Rosenberg, Sabeeha Rehman and NY Giant Brandon Jacobs

On January 21st, Next Generation Beverage sponsored an Action for Autism Gala to benefit NAA-NY Metro's parent organization -- the National Autism Association -- and the Eden II Programs. NAA-New York Metro Chapter accepted a donation of $5,000 on behalf of the National Autism Association. Representing NAA were New York Metro Chapter board members Sabeeha and Khalid Rehman, Kim Mack Rosenberg, Mary Hernandez, and Stuart Flaum. The event was held at the beautiful Marina Del Rey Caterers in Throgs Neck and special appearances were made by Brandon Jacobs of the NY Giants, Fernando Martinez of the NY Mets , and former NY Ranger Ron Greschner, who has founded the Ron Greschner Foundation to support autism research and awareness.

See photo album