 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The High Cost of Helping Your ChildBy Peg Brody
Public Schools Offer Support To assist local school systems in meeting the requirements of IDEA, the Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS) provides training and resources to educators and parents of students with disabilities. This support includes a Child Find program to help children with disabilities find appropriate programs. In addition, the GLRS provides referrals and information services for students with disabilities as well as parent and teacher development and training. There are 17 centers located throughout Georgia. Visit the GLRS Web site at www.GLRS.org for more information. Private School Tuition: Sticker Shock for Parents Another consideration is how a child fits in socially. Robert Moore, president of Mill Springs Academy in Alpharetta, says moms aren’t crying necessarily about test scores, but because their children are targeted or don’t have friends. “Mill Springs works very hard to have an organized social curriculum so our non-traditional students can be successful in a dignified way.” The price of private education can vary widely, and the cost of specialized schools can run as high as $15,000 to $20,000 annually. And, that doesn’t necessarily include any therapies. If money is an issue, what are your options? Mill Springs Academy, The Schenck School and The Howard School offer specialized programs for students who have not realized their potential in traditional classroom situations. Representatives from these schools said that financial aid for tuition is offered to families based on need. This could even include financial assistance for laptops. Check with each private school for specific criteria. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has a Web site that outlines how to apply for financial aid at private schools. Visit www.nais.org/financialaid/sss for more information. Education loans also are available through a bank or credit union. Other loans to consider include home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. A potential benefit of a home equity loan or line of credit is that the interest might be tax deductible. A loan officer can offer more details. For information on other loan options, see below. Scholarships may be awarded through individual schools; service organizations such as Lions, Kiwanis or Rotary; local businesses or religious groups. Check with the school for information on scholarships that have been awarded in the past, or visit some of the Web sites listed below. Many schools also offer various payment plans and schedules that allow you to stretch tuition payments over the course of the year. Mill Springs offers a ten-month, no-interest payment plan, and laptops are available through a lease program. Check with your child’s school to see what options are available to you. Children attending private schools also are covered under IDEA if additional therapy such as speech therapy is needed. Contact your local school system for more information. Tax Laws: One Way to Offset Educational and Medical Costs The IRS recently ruled that children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia and attend a school with a program designed to allow them to deal with their learning disability can claim the tuition expense as a medical deduction. Similarly, parents of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or other physical, mental or emotional impairments might also qualify for tax benefits. The key is that overcoming the disability must be the reason for attending the school, according to the tax code. The IRS ruled that if a child attends a school primarily to receive medical care in the form of special education, then the tuition as well as the cost of meals and lodging supplied by the school are medical expenses. Special instruction, training or therapy such as sign language instruction, speech therapy and remedial reading instruction are also deductible. Diagnostic evaluations also qualify as medical expenses. This includes testing by a speech-language pathologist, psychologist, neurologist or other medical professional. The IRS allows taxpayers to deduct only those medical expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. It’s important to note that if a medical expense later is reimbursed by a school district or insurance company, that amount must be reported as taxable income for the year the reimbursement was received. If a parent or guardian wishes to deduct the cost of private schooling for a child with learning disabilities, several factors should be considered to determine the likelihood that the school qualifies as a “special school”. First, a doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist or other trained specialist must make a medical diagnosis of a neurological disorder. That professional must then recommend the special school, therapy or tutoring in order for the expenses to qualify for the deduction. Another factor that must be considered is the expertise and training of the school’s staff. Staff must have specialized training in psychology, therapy or learning disabilities. The programs and resources offered must be designed to educate children with learning disabilities. In addition, the curriculum of the school must provide therapy and medical services beyond that found in a typical private school. The services of a specialist must be part of the regular program of the school, and the educational training must enhance medical care. Talk with your tax advisor or refer to relevant publications from the IRS (www.irs.gov) for more information. Therapy: An On-going Expense for Some Families While there are a variety of options available for low-income families, many people are caught in the middle. Their income is too high to qualify for programs, and they can’t afford to spend tens of thousands of dollars each year to pay for therapy or on-going medical needs. Parents can find some relief for these expenses through their public school system, the Deeming Waiver, Scottish Rite and other support organizations. Deeming Waiver (Formerly Called Katie Beckett Waiver) New criteria were established for all applications filed on or after November 15, 2004. Under the new guidelines, acceptance is not based on specific medical diagnoses, but rather on medical necessity. The guidelines also stipulate that the child must require the level of care provided in a hospital, nursing facility or intermediate facility. The services provided, however, do not have to take place in these facilities but must be comparable. In addition, the guidelines require that five therapies be performed each week. In order to be considered for the deeming waiver, the following criteria must be also met:
The Deeming Waiver has to be renewed each year. If denied, the family may appeal. Medicaid will continue, but if the appeal is denied, the parents are responsible for the charges incurred. The process of applying for the Deeming Waiver can be a long and laborious one, so it pays to do some research first. A variety of Web sites offer information on the Deeming Waiver including:
Once you have done your research and are ready to apply, the first step is to contact a Medicaid worker at your county’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). You can visit www.dfcs.dhr.georgia.gov or your county’s Web site. Next, schedule an appointment to find out documentation you need to bring with you. DFCS will provide you with the forms and tell you where to receive help to fill them out. Also when applying, make sure the child is ineligible for SSI. DFCS or the Social Security office can offer advice on this issue. Before you submit your forms, it might help to go over them with someone who is knowledgeable about the process. One resource is Family Services Unlimited. For a fee, the company provides assistance with filling out the forms needed to obtain the Deeming Waiver. Phillip Todd of Family Services Unlimited, explained: “The Deeming Waiver focuses on the independence of a child and what you have to do for your child. Parents often want to paint the best scenario, but a child’s limitations have to be presented, including a description of what you, as a parent, do on a daily basis. Therapists don’t see the daily routine at home, and in order to be accepted, there has to be a definite need for services.” Additional Assistance The Scottish Rite and Egleston campuses of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) offer rehabilitative programs for children and have social workers on staff. The Child Care Fund provides assistance for children who receive medical care and therapy through Scottish Rite. The fund is based on a sliding income scale with a limit of $62,500 annually, however there are some exceptions. Contact the hospital or satellite location for details. At Egleston there are two options for assistance. If you have incurred a bill from Egleston, contact a customer service representative in patient accounts for information on how the hospital can help. If you have not yet used the services at Egleston but are preparing to do so, a financial counselor will help set up payment and assistance. Contact the hospital or satellite location for details. If your child is younger than 3, Babies Can’t Wait (BCW) can help provide assistance. The service helps families navigate early intervention programs and provides links to resources. BCW has a statewide directory of information managed by Parent-to-Parent, Inc. of Georgia. The directory provides information about the BCW program located nearest to the child and family. To access the directory, call 1-800-229-2038 or (770) 451-5484 in Atlanta. The state BCW office number is (404) 657-2726 or 1-888-651-8224. Probably the most important thing to remember when faced with the high cost of helping your child is not to panic. With research, you might just be able to find some financial relief for what can seem like an overwhelming price tag. Scholarships and Loan ProgramsHere are some of the resources available for scholarships and loans:
March 1, 2006 | In Feature Articles | No Comments - Leave one!
No Comments yet »RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment |
     |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright ©
Kids Enabled, Inc. - All Rights Reserved |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Almost three million U.S. children have diagnosed learning disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. As the number of children with special needs continues to grow, so does the cost of care. Parents can spend upwards of $20,000 per year on special education and therapy for a child with a medium range of special needs. Physical, occupational and speech therapies range from $100 to $200 per hour, and many special needs children require these services each week. Unfortunately, government programs are being cut or pared down, and insurance companies are adding restrictions and limitations. Often, families cannot receive the necessary funding because of their income level, or they are not aware of options available to help defray expenses. By investing some time and being persistent, however, you might be able to take advantage of some of the resources available to help offset these high costs.
