Family Relationships and Special Needs

Children with special needs may be unable to respond to our declarations of love the way we'd like. Sometimes you can get the message through easier if you show rather than tell, or find fun and disarming ways to sneak your feelings through. Here are 31 ways to start.

Show your appreciation for the special mother in your life with fun coupons that give her just what she needs, from that apology she's expecting to uninterrupted tub time.

Show your appreciation for a father of a child with special needs with coupons designed to acknowledge the special things he does, from homework help to creative discipline to listening to Mom rant.

Sheri and Bob Stritof, About.com's Guides to Marriage, describe the ways in which having a child with special needs can cause stress in a marriage and what you can do to strengthen yours.

Thinking of adding a pooch to your clan? Try one that won't add a whole lot more stress to your household. Senior dogs may be calmer, more tolerant, and less likely to get wired up by your overexcited child.

Different communication and coping styles can keep parents of children with special needs from finding support in one another. In this excerpt from "Married With Special-Needs Children," co-author Laura E. Marshak counsels spouses on how to make themselves, and each other, heard.

Advice on how to make it through family get-togethers and other big events with children with special needs.

From About.com Single Parents: Choosing a suitable child custody arrangement becomes more complicated when custody of a child with special needs is being considered. In addition, it can be even more difficult for single parents who lack adequate financial resources and family assistance. Here are a couple of concerns regarding child custody cases for children with special needs.