What is living with a brother or sister with special needs?

About the book: Living with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs focuses on the intensity of emotions that brothers and sisters experience when they have a sibling with special needs, and the hard questions they ask: What caused my sibling’s disability? Could my own child have a disability as well?

Can a child with cerebral palsy walk independently?

Most (about 75%-85%) children with CP have spastic CP. This means that their muscles are stiff, and as a result, their movements can be awkward. Over half (about 50%-60%) of children with CP can walk independently.

Can a sibling with special needs get Medicaid?

For instance, someone has to manage the trust; even if a sibling with special needs is financially competent, he or she is allowed to take money from the trust. If they do, SSI and Medicaid will count that money as income. The money from a trust also can’t be used as rent, since SSI income pays for housing.

Can a parent leave money to a sibling with disabilities?

The parent left money to the brother who didn’t have disabilities, reasoning that he would take care of the other son. But the brother got a divorce, and his ex-wife wound up with the inheritance intended for both siblings. “This is the reality,” Gruszkos says.

Who are the primary caregivers for siblings with special needs?

A recent Easter Seals Sibling Disability Study survey reported that while 80 percent of respondents expected to eventually be their sibling’s primary caregiver, only 33 percent felt financially prepared to someday step into that role.

Most (about 75%-85%) children with CP have spastic CP. This means that their muscles are stiff, and as a result, their movements can be awkward. Over half (about 50%-60%) of children with CP can walk independently.

Are there services for people with developmental disabilities in California?

In California, people with intellectual or developmental disabilities qualify for the services they need under a state-run health system. This means they should be getting the services they need. But April Lopez, chairwoman of California’s State Council on Developmental Disabilities, said that’s not always the case there.

Is it harder to care for a sibling with special needs?

“They say it is far harder when a parent dies, and then the child is just immediately thrown into a situation that is new and scary for them,” Chubinsky says. Chubinksy isn’t unnerved by the idea of caring for Daniel.