Financial Support for Cerebral Palsy
When an infant is diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), your physician may put you in contact with a cerebral palsy support team who can help you to understand the kinds of needs and care that your child is going to need for his or her lifetime. The support team will generally help you understand what financial support options are available to your baby, which may include the following:
Life Care Plan –What It Does
A life care plan is a carefully-assembled document that allows you to see what your child will need to be healthy and safe during his or her lifetime with cerebral palsy. Life care plans are normally created with the assistance of physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, economic experts, and attorneys. Each of these experts play a vital role in determining the financial costs associated with the infant for a lifetime. For instance, a physician can determine what types of medical care the baby will need long-term, and an economics experts can factor in inflating costs as the child grows older.
A life care plan is often considered a blueprints for parents and/or guardians, in which the medical needs of their baby is mapped out so that they’ll understand the long-term costs. An experienced birth injury attorney generally plays a hand in ensuring that the responsible party is held financially accountable, in order to fund the plan.
Cerebral Palsy Scholarships
The Cerebral Palsy Scholarship Foundation is devoted to making sure that people with cerebral palsy don’t miss out on college because of their disability.
College-aged adults with cerebral palsy may still have a number of disabilities that they have to overcome, disabilities that may not allow them to score high percentage rates in standardized tests or grades that are considered on a college scholarship application.
To that end, the Cerebral Palsy Scholarship Foundation is devoted to these children who as adults have overcome a lot on their lifetime, but still need help to get a college education. Scholarships are considered for students who have cerebral palsy, who are aged 17 and older, who have worked hard academically, and who have a number of special circumstances.
In addition, for people with CP who are interested in clinical trials and specialized studies, many schools and organizations offer additional financial assistance for participants.
Furthermore, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Minnesota offers scholarships to residents of certain Minnesota counties who have been diagnosed with CP, while United Cerebral Palsy of Boston offers $5,000 scholarships to those have been diagnosed with any physical disability.
Other Financial Assistance for People with Disabilities
In addition to scholarships, many colleges, universities, and organizations offer additional financial assistance to students with disabilities. For example, the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) helps Texas residents with special needs obtain employment, while Texas A&M University offers needs-based financial assistance for disabled students.
Fortunately, most states have programs available for students with CP and other disabilities. Check with your local colleges and CP organizations for more details.