The Adult Living Planning Kit

The Adult Living Planning Kit (Ages 14 and Up)

Start early. Write it down. Build a future your child can count on.

Where will my child live as an adult, and who will be there when I can’t be? If you’re parenting a child who will need support for life, that question is probably always somewhere in your mind.

This kit turns that worry into a plan you can work through. It’s 16 printable pages of plain-language guidance, trackers and fill-in planners. It takes you through the decisions that shape your child’s adult life, from the first transition meeting to

naming who takes over after you.

What’s inside (15 chapters):

• Your Adult Living Roadmap: seven steps to work through one at a time
• Adult Living Options: living with family with supports, supported living, host homes, group homes, planned communities and ICFs, compared side by side
• Touring a Setting: questions to ask on a tour, based on the federal HCBS Settings Rule, plus a comparison chart
• Picturing the Future: a worksheet you fill in with your child about what a good adult life looks like to them
• Mapping the Money: waivers, SSI, Childhood Disability Benefits, ABLE accounts, trusts and housing vouchers on one page
• SSI at 18: 2026 payment amounts, what to prepare at 17, and how living at home affects benefits
• ABLE Accounts & Trusts: the 2026 eligibility expansion explained, and the one mistake relatives must avoid
• Housing Help: Mainstream vouchers, Section 811 and an application tracker
• Decision-Making Options: from supported decision-making to guardianship, least restrictive first
• Supported Decision-Making Planner: your child decides, with trusted people to help
• Letter of Intent (2 parts): routines, communication, health, benefits and where everything is kept
• Succession Plan: who comes next, backup choices, and an annual review
• Age-by-Age Checklist: what to do from now through 22 and beyond
• What’s Changing & Key Terms: 2026–2028 policy changes and a quick glossary

What you get:

• A print-ready PDF (US Letter)
• An editable Word version, so you can type your answers and update the plan every year
• Instant download

Made for: parents and caregivers of teens and young adults with intellectual, developmental or other disabilities, ideally starting around age 14. If your child is older, start with the next box on the checklist.

Created by The Spectrum Dispatch. The kit is fact-checked against federal sources and current as of October 2026.

For educational purposes only. This kit is not legal or financial advice. Rules vary by state and change often, so check with your state agencies and a qualified special needs attorney or planner before acting.