Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Thesis: Funding should be provided for families with special needs individuals because the
medical expenses can lead to financial instability, their parents are under an immense amount of
financial stress, and low funds cause disabled children to be unleveled in education and societal
standards.
I. Medical expenses for children with special needs can lead to involuntary financial
instability.
A. An average annual cost of $5,243 is spent on caring for a child with a disability
1. A study was conducted by Autism Speaks and they found that an annual
of $3,020 is spent on medical costs a year for autism. They also set the
2. An anecdote from a father with a son that has autism states that he pays
to pay for diapers for the 5 year-old. He also claims to pay $24,000 for a
caregiver for his son. That is a grand total of $34,000 out of pocket
expenses that this family is paying to provide for their disabled child
(Howe).
B. A recent national U.S. study reported that 40% of families of children with
special
Thomas 2
health care needs experience a financial burden due to their child's condition
lower income. “Studies have shown that the severity of the disability has
able to pay for basic medicines. Therefore are much more susceptible to
Autism”).
II. Parents of a child with special needs are already under an immense amount of stress and
A. Parents who are caring for children with a mental illness have found it to be
extremely difficult to get their own mental health needs met while continuing to
1. The severity of the loved ones disability impacts the cost and quality of
2. The costs of caring for a child with a disability create further hardship for
a family, particularly for mothers who are often prevented from working
3. Research was conducted by Elgar and colleagues finding that being the
mothers of children with mental illness were two to three times more
chronically ill children deal with special needs such as doctor or therapy
can be overwhelmed.
5. Johnston and Mash conducted research and concluded that the presence of
a child with ADHD results in increased problems with family and marital
functioning (Meyers).
B. Parents of children with autism experience more stress and are more likely to have
III. Low funds cause disabled children to not have the same privileges as
expected to learn to read, write and do math. With higher expectations and
3. In 2013-14 school year, the government proved $11.5 million for special
with disabilities, they have never met even half of that commitment.
1. Poverty can lead to job loss and reduced earnings, barriers to education
2. Poverty can limit access to health care and preventive services, and
basic services including education and health care due to low wealth of
4. “The lack of basic healthcare helps to account for mortality for children
child with a severe disability. This is nearly 50% higher than the rate of
IV. Insurance policies and grants in place that parents can receive to provide
A. There are plenty of insurance policies available to parents to apply for to relieve
(DAC) Benefit
3. Medicaid
B. Families can also apply for grants to help alleviate financial instability
1. Autism Speaks
2. Make-A-Wish
C. Families with a disabled individual have to constantly look after them and provide
for their needs, they don’t have time to apply for grants or insurance (Reply)
1. They may not be chosen receive the insurance or grant money that they
apply for.
2. Parents pay margin may be too high meaning they are not available
Carlea Thomas
AP English IV
Mr. Cullen
“It's expensive to raise a child with special needs, which people don't even think about.
Emotionally it can be a struggle, but financially it's really rough” said Elena Delle Donne.
People do not realize how expensive and challenging it is to raise a child with mental disabilities.
“One in fifty children are diagnosed with autism. A little under half of those families will
experience a financial burden due to their family member” (Howe). Stress is also added to their
families lives. Parents of a child with special needs are already under an immense amount of
stress and shouldn’t have to worry about money. Low funds cause disabled children to not have
the same privileges as developmentally normal children. In regards to this topic, funding should
be provided for families with special needs individuals because the medical expenses can lead to
financial instability, their parents and families are under an immense amount of financial and
mental stress, and low funds cause disabled children to be unleveled in education and societal
standards.
With the plethora of expenses placed upon the families with special needs children. It is
easy for them to slip into financial instability. Researchers have said that it costs approximately
$5,243 annually when caring for an individual with special needs, this is for medical expenses
alone (Anderson, Serge, et al). For an illustration, a father of a son with Autism opened up about
his spending and claimed he pays $9,000 of out of pocket expenses. Along with an additional
Thomas 8
$1,800 he has to pay for diapers for the five year-old. He also claims to pay $24,000 for a
caregiver for his son. That is a grand total of $34,000 out of pocket expenses that this family is
paying to provide for their disabled child (Howe). That is entirely too much for a parent to
provide to be able to give their child sufficiently met needs. “A recent national U.S. study
reported that forty percent of families of children with special health care needs experience a
financial burden due to their child's condition” (Anderson, Serge, et al). Since an abundant
amount of time is required to care for these children, parents are almost forced to take off work
causing a lesser income. An affluence of money is required to provide for a child with special
needs, even if they have a minor disability. Speaking about this subject, Autism Speaks, (an
organization that connects people with autism, families, and caregivers tool and resources about
autism), conducted research that “...set the national costs of autism at around $137 billion
annually. This translates into an average lifetime cost of $1.4 million for a person affected by
autism that is not complicated by intellectual disability. An estimated one in five persons with
autism also has an intellectual disability. This increases the average lifetime cost of care to $2.3
million” (“Costs of Autism”). These are unsettling numbers for a family to hear which can cause
Although, there are such insurance policies and grants in place that parents can receive to
provide sufficiently for their child. Benefits to the individual as result of a disability are as
follows: Social Security Child Disability Benefit (CDB)/Disabled Adult Child (DAC) Benefit,
where Individuals who are age eighteen or older and qualify for disabilities before turning 22
may receive benefits based on a parent’s Social Security record if the parent is currently
receiving retirement, disability benefits, or is deceased. The adult or child must be unmarried
Thomas 9
unless their spouse is a Social Security beneficiary. When receiving Social Security Disability
Insurance (SSDI), this is an insurance program, which provides monthly cash payments to
individuals who are unable to work at a substantial level because of a qualifying disability that is
expected to last for at least a year or result in death. Benefits are based on prior contributions and
delayed five months from the onset of a disability. Medicaid is also offered to families with a
disabled family member, it is health insurance that in most states automatically comes with SSI.
Many other individuals with disabilities may receive Medicaid health benefits to pay for medical
care, durable medical equipment, long-term care, in-home caregivers and other residential
community living options. Families can also apply for grants from programs like Autism
Speaks, Make-A-Wish, and Action for Autism (Isenhour). So, families are offered a plethora of
options that can help reduce a financial burden, they just have to search for them.
However, parents of the mentally impaired are busy. They may not have the time or
resources to be able to apply for to the money. Their pay margin may also be too high when
seeking help from insurance agencies. Consequently, they still have to pay for the necessary
Since an abundant amount of time off is necessary for the parents, a lower income is set
to follow. Particularly in cases where mothers are prevented from working and contributing to
family income. “Studies have shown that the severity of the disability has an impact on the
resources and cost of care.” Out of all Americans, a total of nineteen percent have been
classified with a disability (“Children with Disabilities”). That’s around 1.6 million people. “A
recent national U.S. study reported that 40% of families of children with special health care
Thomas 10
needs experience a financial burden due to their child's condition” (Anderson, Serge, et al). With
all of those people under financial stress because of the health care needs of their child,
In addition to the stress of finances, parents who are caring for children with a mental
illness have found it to be extremely difficult to get their own mental health needs met while
continuing to meet the mental health needs of their child. A study of fifty-four families with
autistic toddlers, parents reported elevated stress level to their autistic toddler (“Children with
disabilities”). Handling these children with such a high level of needs can indeed be seen as
higher stress levels when compared to those of developmentally normal children. In 2005, a
research study was conducted by Elgar and colleagues finding that being the mother of a child
with mental illness is associated with high levels of distress and depression. In addition, that
same year a study was conducted by Barkley and colleagues, they found that mothers of children
with mental illness were two to three times more likely to be depressed than mothers of healthy
chronically ill children deal with special needs such as doctor or therapy appointments, medical
treatments, hospitalizations and school issues that can be overwhelming. Mothers of twenty
autistic and twenty down syndrome children reported more disrupted planning, caretaker burden,
family burden, and frequent use of self-blame as a coping strategy than did mothers of
developmentally normal children (Rodrigue, Morgan, et al). Parent’s do not have time to spend
time on their own well-being. Their needs go unmet which can lead to lack of their own mental
stability.
Thomas 11
Siblings of the special needs child are also affected because of their sibling. Parents will
either be at work trying to provide adequately for their children or at special appointments with
their other child. The costs of caring for a child with a disability create further hardship for a
family. The excess of attention on the child with mental impairment can result in other siblings
of the child to receive less attention. Studies on lack of attention from parental guardians were
conducted and found that “...children receiving inadequate affection may manifest stunted
physical growth despite receiving adequate nutrition.” As well as “...developing proper levels of
attachment with a trustworthy caregiver is essential to the present and future mental health of a
child” (Quick). Without the proper attention and care the mentally normal child could suffer as
The child’s parent’s marriages can also be burdened due to the financial stress of caring
for the child. With countless appointments and time needed off of work, time spent together is at
a constant hold. Johnston and Mash conducted experiments and concluded that the presence of a
child with ADHD results in increased problems with family and marital functioning (Meyers).
Lack of money can cause an abundant increase of stress placed on them, consequently causing
the two to grow further apart. The research examined increase depression, social isolation, and
spousal relationship problems among parents of children with autism, fifty-eight parents
completed surveys indicating these results (“Researchers find what stresses parents”). Parents
often are unable to cope with all of the stress they feel because of the finances and excessive
needs of their child. Their marriage should not have to suffer because of that. No one benefits
from an unhealthy home life, especially a child with a mental impairment. Children that require
Thomas 12
such extensive needs should be able to see a happy and healthy relationship between their
parents. They can only benefit positively from happy and stress-free parents.
Especially since low funds cause disabled children to not have the same privileges as
philanthropists seek to help those in need and become even more marginalized as fewer
resources are available in the midst of an emergency (“Online Appointments”). Children with
disabilities and their families continually experience impediments to the enjoyment of their basic
human rights and to their incorporation into society. Their abilities are overlooked, people
underestimated what they are able to handle and their needs are given low priority. Yet, the
barriers they face are more frequently as a result of the environment which they live and lack of
sufficient medical treatment they receive as a result of their impairment (“Promoting the
needs child. In inclusive classrooms, children are able to develop a positive understanding of
themselves and others. Both children with and without disabilities are expected to learn to read,
write, and do math. With higher expectations placed upon the children and good instruction
children with disabilities learn essential academic skills (“The Benefits of Inclusive Education”).
“Studies into funding have found that in the 2013-2014 school year, the government proved to
have paid 11.5 million dollars for special needs education through the Individuals with
Disabilities Act (IDEA).” That number was only half of the forty percent that Congress had
originally committed to pay for the average cost to educate a child with a mental impairment. As
of current news, the federal share of funding for special education services averages around 6.9
million students which can be calculated to only sixteen percent of the forty that they agreed to
Thomas 13
provide for (Litvinov). A teacher in field of the Exceptional Children department, Jennifer
Hankins, said:
It seems that opportunities for inclusion in the general education program are
being cut in all areas and this includes in the Exceptional Children's program.
Research shows that students benefit from being included in general education
classrooms with their non-disabled peers; however, with limited staff, this does not
happen as often as we would like. Teachers across the board are feeling the budget
cuts not only through the loss of positions, but also through the lack of resources.
This also affects the Exceptional Children's department. Many of our students
able to access the curriculum. We are required by law to provide anything a child
needs to access the curriculum; however, with budget cuts, we are doing this
This acts as proof that the government lacks in the financial support of the schooling that these
children deserve.
Poverty can also play a major factor in the result of having a mental illness. Poverty can
lead to job loss and reduced earnings. These factors have major causes that include significant
additional expenses, barriers to education, skills development and many other challenges that can
lead to economic hardship (Vallas, Fremstad). A repercussion to these hardships can restrict the
access to health care and services developmentally for challenged children. Another
consequence of poverty is the increase of likelihood that person lives and works in an
Thomas 14
environment that may adversely affect health (Vallas, Fremstad). A significant fraction of
children with disabilities are denied access to fundamental services including education and
health care as a consequence of the low wealth of their families (“Online Appointments”). It is
unfair for a person to have themselves along with their present or future family suffer because of
the lack of funds that should provide the care for current or potential children with mental
disabilities. A study on the United States concluded that sixteen percent of low-income families
have a child with a disability; nine percent have a child with a severe disability. This is nearly
fifty percent higher than the rate of families with a higher-income. The percentage is particularly
high among families that obtain welfare-- twenty percent of these families have a child with a
disability, including thirteen percent where a child has a severe disability (“Children with
Disabilities”). Families being in poverty can lead to children having the disability. They should
be cared for and funding needs to be provided to those with mental impairment if they can not do
so themselves. With the lack of basic health care that contributes to mortality for children with
disabilities being as high as eighty percent in countries where children under the ages of five
mortality overall has decreased to below twenty percent. (“Online Appointments”). Mental
illness’ can lead to the death of children. The government should help to provide for those so
desperately in need of money for their basic needs of survival. Children do not deserve to suffer
Funding should be provided for families with special needs individuals because the
medical expenses can lead to financial instability, their parents are under an immense amount of
financial stress, and low funds cause disabled children to be unleveled in education and societal
standards. Low funding from the government can cause a family to be under an immense
Thomas 15
amount of financial stress. Siblings of the disabled individual can also suffer, as well as the
parent’s marriage. In an education setting, providing money can help teach special needs
children the essential components they need to know because of the higher expectations placed
upon the children and the good instruction the children learn for fundamental academic skills.
The government even agreed to fund forty percent of the money needed for education but never
met half of that commitment. In addition, poverty is a cause and consequence of a disability.
Those with a lower income can not afford the basic health care needs necessary for preventing a
child with an impairment. Poverty can also create challenges that create barriers for the
development of the person with impairment. One of the leading reasons the government was
instilled was to help those in need, families of those with a disabled individual are in need. The
government should provide funding for things such as health care, medical equipment, and any
other necessary needs for the mentally impaired. They cannot help the conditions they are in. It
should be up to the government to help them in anyway possible to relieve the stress of those
closest to them.
Thomas 16
Works Cited
Anderson, Donna, PhD, Serge Dumont, PhD, Philip Jacobs, PhD, and Leila Azzaria, MA. "The
Personal Costs of Caring for a Child with a Disability: A Review of the Literature."US
"Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs: Opportunities to Participate in Quality
Programs Must Be Expanded." (n.d.): n. pag. Children's Defense Fund. Web. 18 May
2017.
"Costs of Autism: Study Tallies Kids' Higher Health and Education Needs." Autism Speaks. N.p.,
Howe, Jeff. "Paying For My Special-Needs Child | Money." Time. Time, 4 June 2014. Web. 06
Apr.2017.
Isenhour, Barbara A., Esq. "Government Benefits as a Foundation for Special Needs Planning."
Special Needs Alliance Government Benefits as a Foundation for Special Needs Planning
Meyers, Seth, Psy.D. "Pity the Parents of Special Needs Children: Effects &
"Online Appointments for Young People with Diabetes." Nursing Children and Young
Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities. Florence: UNICEF, 2008. UNICEF, 2008.
Quick, Mark. "A Lack of Affection in Childhood Development." Livestrong. N.p., 1 July 2015.
"Researchers Find What Stresses Parents with a Chronically Ill Child." Science Daily. N.p., 18
Rodrigue, James R., Sam B. Morgan, and Gary Geffken. "Families of Autistic Children:
"The Benefits of Inclusive Education." PBS Parents. PBS, n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.
Vallas, Rebecca, and Shawn Fremstad. "Disability Is a Cause and Consequence of Poverty." Talk