Parents of special needs children face special challenges, whether the children’s special needs are physical, developmental, or emotional. Marriages feel the strain, and parents often struggle to maintain their own emotional well being.

A 2008 study from the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin is the first to study, over time, the physical and mental health of parents of children with developmental and mental health special needs. According to the report of the research in Science Daily, “Research suggests that, over time, parents learn to adapt to the challenges of caring for a disabled child. As these parents age, the study shows, their health more closely mirrors the health of parents with children who don’t have disabilities.”

There is encouragement here for parents who face such challenges: It is rough at first, but things generally settle down. In our own work with parents of special needs children, we have consistently seen that staying connected with loved ones and friends, making sure that a marriage receives the attention it needs, taking time to take care for yourself, and relying upon sources of spiritual meaning all contribute to good outcomes for parents in trying situations.

– Mental Health Matters! is written by the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood in Cary