Children with Disabilities Need Extra Care During a Divorce

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• Divorces are tough on everyone, but they can
  present special challenges for children with
  disabilities.
• Divorce agreements involving children with
  disabilities can be particularly complex.
• Not only are there more decisions to make, but
  each decision tends to be more complicated.

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• Children with disabilities often need more stable
  environments than other children.
• Even minor adjustments to routines can cause
  emotional disturbances.
• Since a divorce can cause major disruptions, its
  critical to work even harder to foster stability
  and steadfast support.

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• Since stable routines are critical, transitions
  between homes can present problems.
• Extra emphasis should be placed on maintaining
  established pick up locations and times.
• Longer visits with each parent are preferable to
  short and erratic visits.
• Ensuring similar routines in each household helps
  to minimize stress.

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• Providing appropriate social outlets for children
  with disabilities can be challenging.
• Coordination between parents is even more
  critical when overcoming barriers to inclusion.
• Its important to know who is supervising
  activities and whether children without
  disabilities are involved.

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• Parents with special needs children may have to
  make sensitive medical decisions.
• Parents must decide who will make those decisions
  and how they will share information about medical
  situations.
• They must also agree on procedures for
  administering medication, making appointments,
  and granting consent to perform invasive
  procedures.

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• Caring for children with disabilities can place
  extraordinary burdens on parents.
• If the child lives with one parent, the strain of
  providing specialized assistance can be
  overwhelming.
• It may be necessary to find specially qualified
  caregivers to relieve overburdened parents.

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• Children with disabilities often have special
  educational needs.
• Its important to determine which parent will
  make decisions about the childs education.
• There should be a procedure for dealing with
  disagreements if decisions are shared.
• Both parents should work to ensure the child is
  enrolled in special classes and arrives on time.

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• Its important to help children with disabilities
  make the transition to adulthood.
• Even though parents are divorced, they should
  discuss continuing education opportunities,
  future employment options, and long-term life
  goals.
• Every effort should be made to ensure the divorce
  doesnt affect the childs prospects for
  independence.

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• Since 2003, the McFarling Law Group has been
  committed to helping spouses, parents, and
  children through the practice of family law. As a
  certified divorce lawyer in Las Vegas, Emily
  McFarling, Esq. has successfully represented
  clients in all areas of family law, including
  prenuptial agreements, divorce proceedings,
  spousal support issues, and child custody cases.
  For more information, please visit
  www.mcfarlinglaw.com.