Letting Go, Holding On: Life After Raising an Autistic Son

• By: Karen B. Mariscal, Esq. Mariscal Special Needs Law
• January 5th, 2026
• caregiver stress, emotional resilience, family caregiving, intellectual disabilities, parenting, PTSD symptoms, sensory regulation, special education, Winter 2026 Issue
• 71    0

My war is mostly over, and I miss it terribly. Raising Billy, my son who has autism, was like going through a war, every day a battle. And now he is 33 and he is gone. Not completely gone -- he lives in a group home 10 miles away, and it only takes me 22 minutes to get there. But I no longer...

The Importance of Special Needs Trusts for Children with Autism

• By: Karen B. Mariscal, Esq. Mariscal Special Needs Law
• July 5th, 2023
• children, estate planning, financial security, future planning, guardianship, life insurance, special needs trust, Summer 2023 Issue, supplemental needs trust, trust fund management, trustee selection
• 2752    1

When my child with ASD and intellectual disability was young, I had no idea what tomorrow would bring, much less what would happen years from now, when I would no longer be there. My son’s behaviors were anxiety-provoking enough without me having to lie awake at night thinking about the future....