How to keep your relationship strong while parenting a special needs child - Shine from Yahoo! Canada

Married with Special-Needs Children

  So, the kids are all right but how’s your marriage doing? “I’ve had parents of kids with autism in my practice assume their marriage will fail,” says Laura Marshak,a registered psychologist and author of Married with Special Needs Children. Marshak explores marriage myths and strategies when your kids have special needs.What are the rates of marriage failure when a child has special needs?

How to keep your relationship strong while parenting a special needs child - Shine from Yahoo! Canada


an excerpt from Married With Special-Needs Children - Children have a powerful impact on a marriage; children with disabilities often change the structure of a marriage even more because disability typically amplifies aspects of life.

Married with Special-Needs Children (authors Laura E. Marshak and Fran P. Prezant) looks at the ways in which having a child with special needs can make it more difficult for a marriage to thrive and how a child's intensive needs can change the structure of a marriage. The authors examine many of the underlying stresses and common pitfalls--a couple's differing coping mechanisms and expectations of a child, communication breakdowns and difficulties resolving conflicts, for example. They then present a wide range of strategies for handling or preventing these problems. Marshak and Prezant also describe what makes a marriage strong, such as continuing to share connections outside of parenting roles, keeping a sense of autonomy, and sharing childcare responsibilities. Parents get advice about the importance of romance and intimacy and the benefits of finding time for each other even when they feel too tired or overwhelmed. In addition, the book deals with serious marital troubles and divorce considerations. Throughout are quotes from husbands and wives, offering special insight into what was especially difficult for them, what solutions they've discovered, and what they wished they'd done differently.
For parents looking for ways to strengthen their marriage, prevent future strife, or resolve or move on from significant relationship difficulties, this guide offers guidance and expertise for taking the next step. Married with Special-Needs Children is also invaluable to mental health professionals, giving them a realistic view of what many of their clients are dealing with on a day-to-day basis.

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'a uniquely different family'