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Jacob’s Journey… How Far He Has Come

by Chelsea Clark, posted in Organization Spotlight

Guest blog post by Karen Franco | Author, Speaker, Special Needs Advocate | Karen Franco Books

When you hear the word “special” it can mean many things, in the case of my son, Jacob, it means living in a world that is truly his own and helping him cope with the world around him. Jacob has a genetic abnormality. He is missing a piece of his 4th chromosome, which has led to cognitive and developmental delays. Along with the chromosomal abnormality, Jacob exhibited autistic tendencies and was later diagnosed with Autism.

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Family Photo with Special Needs Member

The Biggest Planning Mistake Our Family Made…

by Phillip C. Clark, posted in Sarah's Story

Written by: Phillip C. Clark, Founder and President, ENABLE Special Needs Planning

We had the best intentions…

Our family had the best intentions. We strived to create a great future for my younger sister, Sarah, who has Down syndrome, no matter what future events would transpire. For weeks, we endured many hours of emotional conversations. We thoroughly hashed out all of the precise details of our plan. We thought through every pitfall, evaluated every potential problem, and developed strategies to overcome such obstacles so that Sarah could live a purposeful, impactful life.

But we forgot one essential part of the planning process…

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Special Needs Planning: How Should We Measure Success?

by Phillip C. Clark, posted in Uncategorized
Phillip C. Clark, Founder & President, ENABLE Special Needs Planning
Phillip C. Clark, Founder & President, ENABLE Special Needs Planning

Written by: Phillip C. Clark, Founder & President, ENABLE Special Needs Planning

In today’s culture, images and stories of success are at our fingertips 24/7 through social media. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing ourselves to others.

On the one hand, social media can be a source of inspiration and motivation, showing us pictures of other people succeeding in areas in which we aspire to be successful, too. On the other hand, we could look at those same photos, and feel like we don’t measure up…and we never will.

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Special Needs Planning: Why the Traditional Planning Industry has it ALL BACKWARDS

by Phillip C. Clark, posted in Special Needs Planning

Author: Phillip C. Clark, Founder and President, ENABLE Special Needs Planning, LLC

 

Consider these statements…

  • “My child won’t ever be able to do ____.”
  • “We need to figure out how we are going to support our child when we, as parents, are gone.”
  • “How can we make sure our government benefits cover all of our expenses?”
  • “We have to make sure you have a sound strategy to fund your Special Needs Trust.”

These statements–uttered by both parents and professionals–are made daily because my industry has made special needs planning into a process that is focused on keeping families stuck with limited expectations and a limited mindset about the future.

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