Special needs child and divorce

July 5, 11:14 PMSpecial Needs Kids ExaminerHeather Sedlock

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Pegi Price is a divorce attorney whose son, she says, “emerged” from autism at age 8. Ms. Price will be speaking in Oklahoma on special needs kids and divorce. Her son will be traveling with her for three speaking engagements. The event that she will speak at is for the Oklahoma State Bar Association. Her message is that “to spread a message of hope, which is so desperately needed.”  The event will take place in the Oklahoma City area on July 16th and in Tulsa on July 17th.

Ms. Price herself knows how hard it can be to have a child with special needs and to go through a divorce- she’s gone through it herself. The special needs of children often create tension in the marital dynamic for a number of reasons, least of which is the cost of care. This additional stress and strain can contribute towards many divorces. It is not the child’s fault but rather an unfortunate consequence.

The Special Needs Child and Divorce Blog is for families, lawyers, and judges who have an interest in this area. Ms. Price has written a few books, the most recent being a guide of sorts for attorneys and judges to help them understand the situation when divorce happens with a special needs child caught in the middle.

The number of questions that she feels often goes ignored during these cases are as follows:

• Are the medical bills and expense of therapy, medical equipment, medications, supplements, dietary needs and sensory items accounted for in child support tallies?
• Are the costs for professional help in caring and developing the child included in expense calculations?
• Do custody and visitation agreements allow the custodial parent to run errands, complete chores and just get away occasionally?
• Are the costs of home modifications, including alarms, locks, lighting and cushioning, included in the child support plan?
• If the custodial parent will not be able to work, will he or she receive 401k contributions from the other spouse to ensure financial health in the future?

Divorce is not a topic most people want to focus on; however, about half of all marriages end in divorce. With 5% of the nation’s children classified as special needs, that equals to 7,500,000 special needs children whose parents get a divorce. This is a topic that needs to be understood.

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