In-Office Workshops:
SPECIAL NEEDS TRUSTS WORKSHOP FOR FAMILY MEMBERS
Two dates to choose from:
Wednesday, April 17 or Wednesday, May 29
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 pm
The Dale Law Firm, PC
Conference Room
127 Aspen Dr.,
Pacheco, CA
(conveniently located at near the 4/680 Interchange between Martinez and Concord, CA)
Register by contacting [email protected]
or by calling (925) 826-5585
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Introducing
Free and Informative
On-line Workshops
April 23: Is It Time To Review Your Estate Plan?
April 30: Updating Your Special Needs Trust
June 11: How Does Your Special Needs Trust Affect Housing?
Each workshop is from
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Pre-registration is required!
In order to expand our outreach and support families with disabilities in our community, The Dale Law Firm, PC is introducing on-line one hour workshops. We will hold three one hour workshops in the next three months through GoToMeeting. You only need to register and then download a simple application before the workshop begins.
Register by contacting
[email protected]
or by calling
(925) 818-4245
For more information on these and other workshops
CLICK HERE!
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Celebrate Autism Awareness Month
The California Autism Foundation is recognizing April as Autism Awareness Month with the following three events:
Wednesday, April 10th
CAF's ABC School Open House
4:30 to 7:40 pm
4138 Lakeside Dr., Richmond, CA
Friday, April 19th
Round Up Saloon
6:00 - 9:00 pm
3553 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette
Wednesday, April 24th
iPads and Pizza at Patxi's
5:00 to 7:00 pm
3577 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette
for more information, go to www.CalAutism.org
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A Great May Activity!
Saturday May 4, 2013
Festival: 9:00 - 4:00
Lunch: 11:30 - 2:00
WATSONVILLE AIRPORT
FREE ENTRY,
FREE ACTIVITIES
The 8th Annual Day in the Sky is a FREE Accessibility Expo featuring up to 100 nonprofit groups, educational interactive displays, and vendors of assistive technologies & STEMA (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, & Aviation).
The festival will also include a static plane display, on the ground air school, a hot air balloon, music provided by a local DJ, face painters, Snoopy, accessible sports equipment demos, and visits with live animals.
Register at:
or call:
831-459-7210
* Volunteers needed! Register on-line.
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In Office Promotional Special
New clients will receive a discount on their special needs trust estate planning if they attend a full on-site workshop, or watch an on-line video,
or view a free educational DVD from the Dale Law Firm, PC.
For more information, go to the
"Educational Workshop"
section of the
Achieving Independence website (www.achieving independence.com)
There are two applicable videos to view. The first video is listed under "Special Needs Trusts" and is 1 hour, 40 minutes long.
The Limited Conservatorship workshop is listed in 5 sections under "Limited Conservatorship".
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The Dale Law Firm is at 127 Aspen Dr., Suite 100 Pacheco, CA 94553
conveniently located between Martinez and Concord
Click HERE for Larger MAP
(925) 826-5855
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A Newsletter for People with Disabilities and Their Families March, 2013
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This issue's focus:
Prepare Now!
Dear Reader:
It's Spring! You know what that means, right? Tax time, spring activities, and just around the corner....Summer!
We know that today's families with special needs have a lot on their plates. The Achieving Independence Newsletter has always worked to provide our readers with tools that will help them. This edition melds some important and useful information to help plan for both immediate and long term needs.
Look for our great announcement to the left regarding a new on-line Special Needs Trusts webinar series, free of charge, that will cover the issues of housing, benefits and planning. These webinars will be held in three one-hour segments. You can sign up for one, two or all three presentations.
For those getting ready for summer, we are providing some updated information on available summer camps for children with disabilities within the Bay Area.
We are also providing, just in time for tax season, a guest article from The Special Needs Alliance that details five deductions families with disabled loved ones can take when filing their yearly federal income tax.
Achieving Independence is accomplished through information and support. We are committed to providing both.
Do you have more questions or comments? Contact me at [email protected]
Nina S. Jones, Editor
The Achieving Independence Newsletter
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It's Time To Register for
Spring and Summer Programs in the Bay Area
*Article originally developed by Laura Schumaker,
1) CAMP KREM
Provides year-around recreational activities and summer camping for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
2) CAMP COSTONOAN
Year-around recreational activities and summer camping for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
3) WALNUT CREEK SPECIALIZED RECREATION
Activities and outings for the developmentally disabled. Their adult program operates from September to May. All activities and trips are designed specifically for developmentally disabled adults. Summer day camp program for ages 5 to 21.
4) EASTER SEALS CAMPS
Year-around recreational activities and summer camping for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
5) YOUNG LIFE
Young Life camp provides the opportunity and environment for young people with disabilities to open up and share their struggles, fears and faith.
6) EXTREME SPORTS CAMPS
Specifically focused for campers with Autism.
7) CAMP AZURE
Four-week Summer Day Camp at Glen Canyon for San Francisco children.
8) SURFERS HEALING
Day camps at the beach where autistic children and their families can be exposed to a completely new experience of surfing.
9) CAMP ALTITUDE
Two-week summer camp experience for boys and girls with social cognitive challenges (Asperger's, NLD, High Functioning Autism, PDD-NOS & ADHD) who are entering 6th through 11th grades.
10) SAN RAMON THERAPEUTIC RECREATION
Excellent program with so much to offer year round.
Provides camp for special needs children and grants to special education teachers.
12) GEORGE MILLER CENTER - Richmond and Concord
Services for 11-22 year olds with intellectual/ developmental disabilities who would like to be involved in an active, social, recreational after-school experience.
MORE INFORMATION
For a list of camps across the U.S., go to:
http://www.veryspecialcamps.com
And for a list of great vacation spots for the whole family that are special needs friendly, see:
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5 Tax Deductions & Credits For Special Needs Families
by Bernard A. Krooks, J.D., CPA, LL.M, CELA
Reprinted with permission from "The Voice",
by The Special Needs Alliance (printed 2012/10/10)
Parents of children with special needs often have unique financial concerns, and one way to ease those concerns is to reduce their tax burden.
There are many tax deductions and credits available that parents may not be aware of. Parents of children with special needs should familiarize themselves with the deductions and credits and take care to document all expenses related to their children's medical expenses, development and therapy.
Here are 5 useful tax deductions and credits for parents of children with special needs.
1. Medical & Therapy Expenses
The first type of deduction to consider is for medical and therapy expenses. For income tax purposes, learning disabilities are a type of medical condition. This may include autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and other learning disabilities.
While these expenses are limited by 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income, the limitation may be exceeded by certain types of out-of-pocket expenses.
Such expenses can include the following:
- Special schooling such as: tutoring that is specifically intended to address the special needs of the child.
- Regular education when it is intended to treat the child's special needs.
- Aides that a child may require to benefit from education.
- Exercise programs, if they are recommended by a medical professional.
- Transportation to and from special schools or therapy sessions.
- Equipment, devices and supplies necessary to treat or alleviate a medical condition, including technology items such as communication devices.
2. Specialized Foods
A gluten-free, casein-free diet can be used as a deduction provided it is medically recommended. Generally, only the additional cost of the specialized foods over and above what would be paid for similar items is deductible.
3. Legal Expenses
In some cases, legal expenses related to your child's special needs may be deductible, for instance if you hire an attorney to help you prove that your child's medical expenses are legitimate.
Tax Credits
Even more helpful than a tax deduction is a tax credit, which applies directly to the amount of tax you owe. The tax credits most helpful to parents of special needs children are the Child and Dependent Care Credit and the Earned Income Credit. In both cases, a credit that is normally only available for children may also be used for an older child with special needs.
4. Child and Dependent Care Credit
The Child and Dependent Care Credit may be applied when you pay someone to care for your dependent, and it provides a tax credit of up to $3,000 per dependent, to a maximum of $6,000 for all dependents. Child-care, after-school programs and day camp qualify for the credit.
The credit is available for children under the age of 13, but the age limit does not apply to older children with special needs.
5. Earned Income Credit
The Earned Income Credit can also be useful for parents of children with special needs. The credit generally may be applied by families with a low to moderate income and children under the age of 19, or up to age 23 for full-time students. However, for adult children living with their parents, the age limit does not apply.
In Conclusion
Parents of children with special needs know that there are unique challenges involved, including financial hurdles. However, with careful planning and the assistance of an experienced attorney who is sensitive to special needs issues, you can make sure you do what is necessary to reduce your tax burden and protect your child's interests.
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Proud members of
The Special Needs Alliance
learn more at:
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