Special Needs Planning
A personalized approach to protecting what matters most.
I’ll never forget the day when the doctor told me about Jakob’s diagnosis. The combined
feelings of being scared, confused and sad were overwhelming.
My special needs journey started when my son, Jakob, turned 2½ and was diagnosed with autism. Immediately, my mind started racing ahead thinking about his future. Will he be able to go to school? Will he have a job? Go to college? Live Independently…? It took some time before I started to focus on the things that I can do for him right then. I know as parents of special kids we have a lot to deal with and on my journey, I was sometimes confused and made mistakes. That’s why I developed the Life Care Tool Kit™ to help you figure out what you can be doing right now no matter what stage of the journey you are on.
Tool Kit for Parents
Age 0-3
When Jakob was 2 it was a daily revolving door of therapists. It seemed like someone was always at the house working with him and progress was slow.
Age 3-14
This was a critical time in Jakob’s development. I had frequent meetings with his team at school to make sure he was making progress. We didn’t always agree and it often felt like we would take two steps forward and one step back.
Age 14-18
Jakob started to really come into his own. This was the period of time where he grew the most in terms of self-confidence and skill development. It was also filled with uncertainty as he approached his senior year in high school and where life would take us next.
Age 18-22
When Jakob turned 18, we started applying for benefits. All the advice I had given to clients over the years about this process definitely came in handy. Despite this, dealing with government agencies is slow and frustrating at times.
Age 22+
My hope is that Jakob will continue to make progress and be able to live independently one day. Many things are still uncertain but I am hopeful about his future.
Massachusetts Office
201 Jones Rd, Fifth Floor
Waltham, MA 02451
Call: (781) 398-1351
Email: info@riverfg.com
