Raising a child with a disability requires parents to learn about and deal with multiple specialists, various healthcare systems, and increased expenses that most parents don’t normally encounter. Learning about the disability, providing daily care, choosing treatment options, managing a complicated medical system, managing healthcare costs, advocating for special needs schooling and coupled with caring for the needs of other family members can cause strains to any marriage.

“Having a child with a disability brings unanticipated grief that most parents are not prepared to tackle. By doing your research you can combat some of the unknown stresses that come with parenting a child with special needs,” says Barbara Heuser, a licensed clinical social worker at The Warren Center a nonprofit agency that provides professional evaluations, therapy services, and support to children with developmental delays and disabilities.

To help keep families functioning and marriages healthy and thriving, Barbara suggests the following tips:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Services, support and as much respite as possible are not luxuries when raising a child with special needs,” says Amy Spawn, president and CEO of The Warren Center.  “That’s why we created the Respite Services Recess program. Parents can drop their child (and siblings) off at The Warren Center and go out on the town, run errands, or take a nap – feeling confident that their little ones are safe and having an incredible time.”