Workshop helps parents plan financial future for special-needs kids

When his first child was born, Rob Wrubel started a college savings plan.

As an investment counselor, that was an easy part of parenthood.

His second child's arrival threw him for a loop.

"When Sarah was born, we went on a journey on how life would be different," he said. "I quickly learned that planning for and living with her would be different."

It's different because Sarah has Down syndrome.

At Saturday's special needs family workshop at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Wrubel told a small group of parents about trusts, budgets, savings plans, legal and investment strategies.

It was a crash course in financial planning basics geared to meeting special needs situations for adults who might not attain independence.

"It's not a well known area of financial planning," said Wrubel, a Cascade Investment Group consultant. "Some things taken for granted are very important planning tools that, if done wrong, can jeopardize benefits."

For instance, a child with too many typical savings resources might not qualify for certain government services as an adult. "As a planner before, I wouldn't have even known some of the differences until I had personal experience," Wrubel. "There's a road map to follow."

Parents at the workshop were given a detailed workbook to assist their planning.

"I need to learn some of the precautions to do it correctly," said Bill Sigrist, the father of a special needs teen. "I can still be the quarterback of the plan, but rely on other people to help."

It's a "different skill-set to learn," said parent Joe McGirr. "I have several children I know can be independent when they turn 18 or 21. That's not the case for my daughter."

"It's opened my eyes that we need to be better organized," said Matthew Kyle, who came from Thornton for advice about his 5-year-old son. "Families who have special-needs children are the best resources. They are living through it every day."

Like Wrubel, he faces uncertainties about the extent of his child's needs as an adult.

"There's a big range of abilities," Wrubel said of Sarah's condition.

Sarah required medical care at birth. She has speech, occupational and music therapy.

She's also a typical new kindergarten graduate.

"She runs around with her friends. She's a happy, healthy member of our family," Wrubel said. "She lights up every room. She is sweet, or as my wife likes to say, ‘sassy'."