Specialized Documentation
Transportation, Taxation, or Guardianship
As part of his Third Academy duties, Dr. Chang provides documentation for benefits when a family does not have another health care professional available to do so. These include Calgary Transit Access, the Disability Tax Credit, and capacity assessment for parents seeking guardianship of their adult child.
Calgary Transit Access
Your child may be eligible for Calgary Transit Access services. Please review the eligibility criteria carefully. Should you choose to apply, please download and complete the application form. Parts A to F and questions 4 to 11 in section G. Please send your application by email to Dr. Chang.
Dr. Chang will review your child’s file to verify your responses and contact you if further information is required. Please make sure that the most recent reports from all health care professionals (e.g., occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, special education, medicine, and nursing) are on the school file.
Disability Tax Credit
Parents can receive the Disability Tax Credit if their child’s condition meets the criteria set out by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). CRA requires that evaluations be done by licensed health care professionals practicing only within the scope of practice of their specific license. For example, speech-language pathologists only are permitted to provide an assessment of speech, optometrists only are permitted to assess vision, occupational therapists only are permitted to assessment of feeding problems, and psychologists only are permitted to assess mental functions necessary for everyday life, etc. The exception to this is physicians and nurse practitioners, who are legally authorized to provide assessments of any area.
Dr. Chang is willing to meet with parents to develop a strategy for gathering the information necessary to advocate for the disability tax credit, and which health care professional would be best suited to provide the evaluation to maximize the likelihood of receiving the Disability Tax Credit. Please note that short notice appointments or request for letters to CRA are not available.
Capacity Assessment
A capacity assessment evaluates whether an adult is capable to make personal or financial decisions and can understand the consequences of such decisions. Please review the process and criteria for a capacity assessment.
Before Dr. Chang can do a capacity assessment as part of his Third Academy duties, parents must:
- obtain the agreement of the child;
- obtain a letter from a medical doctor verifying that the disability is not caused by a reversable or temporary medical condition
Once you have done this, please email Dr. Chang to make an in person or Zoom appointment.
Dr. Chang does not do capacity assessments if the parent and child are not in agreement, which would require the parent to make a court application to obtain guardianship.