Few Parents Plan for Future of Children with Disabilities, Study Finds
February 22, 2018
By: Courtney Perkes
Source: Disability Scoop
Many parents of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not doing enough to prepare for the prospect of their children outliving them, according to a new University of Illinois study.
Nearly 400 parents of children ages 3 to 68 responded to a national survey on what steps they’ve taken to ensure future care for them. Only 3.6 percent of parents had completed a full list of 11 tasks that researchers asked about including establishing legal guardianship, power of attorney and securing a residential placement. While 32 percent had done a moderate amount of preparation, 12 percent had taken no action, the survey showed.
“We know that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are having longer lives and beginning to outlive their parents,” said lead author Meghan Burke, a professor of special education in Champaign, Ill. “When a parent can no longer provide care or passes away, that’s a crisis situation for the family. We have to start planning for the future and that transition.”