Financial Issues: Divorcing Parents with a Special Needs Child [VIDEO]
Raising a child with a significant disability is challenging enough when parents have an intact marriage. The challenges increase exponentially when the parents are divorcing. Not only do they need to ascertain their child’s current needs and the resulting financial implications, but they also need to do so into the future, when they are not together and may not be as cooperative in addressing the challenges.
Parenting Plans for Couples with a Special Needs Child [VIDEO]
When couples with normal-developing kids are separating or divorcing, we can spend quite a bit of time during mediation discussing their parenting arrangements. When the couple has a special needs child, the whole landscape changes. The discussions about parenting need to be much more detailed so as to flesh out the realities of their situation.
Questions for Divorcing Couples with a Special Needs Child [VIDEO]
When I’m mediating with parents who have a special needs child, I view myself as being on a “fact-finding mission.” What do I mean by that? In addition to performing my other mediator responsibilities, my role is to gather as much information as I can about the couple’s special needs child, and how that child’s disability relates to the parents, as well as to other siblings in the family.
My Passion – Helping Parents with Special Needs Children [VIDEO]
Divorces involving special needs children are often complicated and involve more issues than the “normal” divorce. Helping these families is especially rewarding for me. Why?
Divorce Financial Considerations with a Special Needs Child
{4:18 minutes to read} In my last blog, I discussed the governmental benefits that are available to a child or young adult with special needs. When I meet with my couples in divorce mediation, I need to first make sure they understand the public benefits their child is entitled to and then also discuss how these benefits relate to the many expenses (some covered by governmental benefits, some not) that arise when parents are raising a special needs child.
Governmental Benefits and the Special Needs Child
{2:48 minutes to read} In my next blog I will be discussing the various financial issues that affect the parents of a special needs child who are divorcing. Before doing that, however, I first need to describe the basic framework of governmental services and benefits that are provided to children and young adults with disabilities.
Parenting Arrangements for Special Needs Children
{3:32 minutes to read} When I’m mediating with parents who have a special needs child, I view myself as being on a “fact finding mission.” What do I mean by that? In addition to performing my other mediator responsibilities, my role is to gather as much information as I can about the couple’s special needs child, and how that child’s disability relates to each of the parents’ lives, as well as to any other siblings in the family. Clearly, these family relationships are often more complex than families without a special needs child.
Special Needs Children and Parenting Discussions
{3:06 minutes to read} When couples with normal-developing kids are separating or divorcing, we can spend quite a bit of time during mediation discussing their parenting arrangements. Among the many subjects that need to be addressed are: what the weekday and weekend parenting schedule will look like; how scheduling for holidays and summer vacations will be handled; and in what ways the scheduling may need to reflect the specific work circumstances of the parents.
Divorcing Parents and Their Special Needs Children
{3:12 minutes to read} I just finished a mediation session with a divorcing couple who have a special needs child, in addition to two typically-developing children. While divorces involving special needs children are often complicated and involve more issues than the “normal” divorce, I find helping these families to be especially rewarding.
Children and Chronic Illness: Type 1 Diabetes
{4:30 minutes to read} The NY Times recently published a detailed article on how school systems in the U.S. are failing to adequately care for students with Type 1 diabetes. What an eye-opener this was! And it’s because I know quite a bit about this subject that it was even more of an eye opener for me. How did I come to be so knowledgeable about this issue? Here is a little background information.
