In this episode of Live Well Love Strong, Sarah Washington sits down with Mary Ann Hughes, certified special needs divorce coach, mediator, parenting coordinator, and founder of Special Family Transitions. Drawing from her own experience as a mother to two sons on the autism spectrum, Mary Ann shares how an unexpected divorce led her to create a service dedicated to helping parents navigate the overwhelming complexities of divorce involving children with disabilities.

With divorce rates reported as high as 80–87% among families raising a child with special needs, Mary Ann’s mission is to help parents move from the emotion of divorce to the business of divorce, while ensuring their child’s unique needs remain at the forefront. She offers practical strategies on where to start, how to prepare before seeing an attorney, and why organized advocacy is key for both legal and emotional success.

About Mary Ann Hughes:
Mary Ann is a Certified Divorce Coach, Certified Special Needs Divorce Coach, Certified Divorce Specialist, Pre-Mediation Divorce Coach, Mosten-Guthrie Disability-Informed Professional, and graduate of the LoneStar LEND Leadership Education in Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program. She is also trained in Family and Divorce Mediation, Parenting Coordination, Arbitration, and Neurolinguistic Programming.

She serves in leadership roles in the Special Needs Chapter of the National Association of Divorce Professionals, Texas Association of Mediators, and Association for Conflict Resolution Houston Chapter, and is a trainer in Divorce Coach and Mediation programs. Mary Ann is also a contributing author to the bestselling book The Other Side of Divorce: Breakups That Lead to Breakthroughs.

💻 Learn more at: specialfamilytransitions.com
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📷 Instagram: @specialfamilytransitions