Parenting a child with special needs can be challenging before a divorce, but after, it can bring a whole new level of challenges into your life. The truth is, many marriages fail partially because of the additional challenges of raising a child with special needs. So, now that you are getting, or are, divorced, what do you do? Here, you will learn about creating a parenting plan that can help you and your former spouse provide the best care for your child.
Parent Education Program
In some cases, the court will order that parents complete a Parent Education Program, but many times, it isn't mandatory. Although the course is not mandated, consider going anyway. These classes are generally five one-hour sessions that teach parents quite a bit about how to cope with things after a divorce. It can teach you how to cooperate and negotiate with your former spouse and help avoid some of the most common disputes that can cause undue stress on the entire family.
Professional Help
The parenting plan that you develop must work for your special needs child. But, how do you know what will work best for your child? One step in creating the optimum care plan for your child is by working with your child's doctors or therapist. These professionals know how special needs children think and what needs to be done to keep their days as routine as possible. Depending on the disability of your child, the routine that he or she follows could be what keeps the child from breaking down and falling apart emotionally.
Health Care
Now that you are on your own in the home with your special needs child, do you have all of the help that you need to take care of him or her as well as yourself? It is important that you reach out for an extra hand if your child requires overnight care or assistance that can become overwhelming. Try to find a home health care service that will provide care for your child at both your home and your former spouse's home. This will help to create a feel of security and comfort to your child.
Talk with your family lawyer about how to go about making all of the parenting arrangements and agreements official. He or she can help guide you through creating the parenting plan and provide you with advice on creating the plan that will best protect your entire family. For more information, contact a local law firm like Harold Salant Strassfield & Spielberg.
Share27 March 2015
Are you going through a divorce? Do you have kids? If so, do you know how to handle the many struggles you will face when it comes to your kids? Even if you and your spouse can get through the divorce while agreeing on the custody arrangements, there will be struggles that you may not have planned for. For example, who will handle the educational, medical or other decisions about the kids? Is it something that you will decide together, or will one parent make the decision and the other one agree? My site contains several tips that can help you plan for the struggles you will go through in the future and make the situation a little easier for your entire family.