• Today’s parents worry about a great many things, money being one of the most common concerns. That’s why putting sound financial and legal plans in place early is the best way to create a solid financial foundation.

• The financial planning challenges for parents of special needs children are many and complex, and retirement planning presents one of the toughest challenges. The core challenge is balancing the financial needs of retirement with long-term needs of a child with a disability--needs that usually outlive the parents.

• Social Security disability benefits, which are often available to children with special needs, can provide ongoing monetary support. Benefits can help ease financial worries and provide the targeted care your child needs.

• Disability – modest transfers of money and services that the families may use in almost any way they want to keep their babies and children at home – is less expensive than other services.

• Do you need long term disability insurance? Nobody likes to think about what life would look like should disability strike. But the reality is one third of all Americans between the ages 35 and 65 will become disabled for more than 90 days. One in seven workers will be disabled for more than five years. While many people think that disabilities are typically caused by accidents, the majority of long-term absences are actually due to illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease. The loss of income can be so devastating that it forces some people to foreclose on their home or declare bankruptcy.

• Employment for people with disabilities - know your disability rights, seek and use the employment services, develop a well-written resume and learn how effective networking can help you find the best job.

• Learn how to save money shopping online. There are two main types of Internet shopping promotions that you will see while browsing online. One is called the "coupon code" or "promotional code " and the other is a " link only" promotion. Most online merchants will offer one or the other when running online promotions.

• Here are the steps for family planning to get your finances under control: take the time to work on and follow faithfully a family budget; eliminate wasteful spending, evaluate purchases and save money on what you buy, get out of debt methodically, and start a systematic investing program.

• Effective special needs planning requires a high degree of specialized knowledge and expertise. The special needs trust makes it possible to appoint a trustee to hold property for the benefit of your disabled or special needs child after you’re gone.

•Every disability insurance policy from every insurance company is very different so it may not be adivisable to simply shop for the most competitive rate.