Resources to support your family in thoughtfully planning for a future rooted in dignity, independence, and high expectations.
Resources to Help Your Family Prepare for Adulthood
Legal Planning, Guardianship, & Conservatorships
Legal authority and decision-making responsibilities change when an individual reaches adulthood. Laws, guardianship requirements, disability services, and government support programs vary by country, state, and region.
ASSN: International Laws and Decision Making by People with Disabilities
Weeks Law: Guardianships vs. Conservatorships
Healthcare, Medical Planning, & Medical Decision Making
Medical decision-making for adults with disabilities ranges from independent choice with communication accommodations to substitute decision-making when a person lacks legal capacity.
Supported Decision Making is an alternative to guardianship where an adult with a disability chooses trusted family, friends, or advisors (supporters) to help explain medical options, weigh risks, and communicate with providers, while the individual retains final decision-making authority. This can be supported by informal agreements or state-recognized SDM laws.
Got Transition: Youth, Young Adults, & Families
Child Neurology Foundation: Transition of Care
Special Needs Trusts
A Special Needs Trust is a specialized legal arrangement that holds and manages assets for a person with a disability while preserving their eligibility for means-tested government benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). While a will is a basic estate planning document that can help you provide for your loved one with special needs after you pass, a trust can also protect their assets. Making a special needs trust includes appointing a responsible individual to act as the trustee.
The trust can pay for things public benefits do not cover, such as recreation and education. At the same time, a trust preserves your loved one’s ability to qualify for public benefits. Setting up a special needs trust can also ensure that they receive continued support during their lifetime.
Fidelity: What is a Special Needs Trust?
Weeks Law: How a Special Needs Trust Can Protect Your Loved One With Special Needs
ABLE Accounts
An ABLE account is a tax-advantaged savings and investment account for people with disabilities that lets them save money without losing eligibility for government programs like Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Post-Secondary Education, Job Supports, & Independant Living
Inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) refers to college, university, or technical school programs designed specifically for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to attend classes and participate in campus life alongside neurotypical peers.
Connect with our Amazing Self-Advocate Community
Our growing community of Teens and Adults with CSS meet monthly via Zoom and are very active at our annual conferences. If your loved one with CSS is 13+, join us! All abilities, communication styles, attention spans, etc. welcome!
Email Becky@coffinsiris.org to learn more!