security income). Evaluate each option and
think through each one.”
When speaking with parents, Marsili
advises them to think about their own future
and retirement first. Second, she reminds
parents that they need to know about a variety
of public benefit programs for which their
(adult) children may be eligible. Knowing
these benefits can considerably lighten the
financial burden on the parents.

“Such programs may provide rental and
energy assistance, long-term care insurance
to cover, for example, in-home care, assistive
technology, job supports, etc. [and] funds one
may use toward room and board [and] health
care coverage,” Marsili says. n
When meeting with a lawyer or a financial planner,
here are a few of the questions that parents need to be
prepared to answer:
• Will my child’s grandparents or extended family be involved in
decision making?
• What role will siblings play in my child’s future?
• Should I leave more money to the child with a disability or the
neurotypical child?
• Will my child need long-term care in a facility, and how much will
that care cost?
• What government assistance does my child qualify for now and in
the future?
Answering these questions may require discussions with the child’s
extended family and medical specialists as well as research into
government (both federal and state) assistance programs.

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