M. Kirshbaum, PhD, D. Taube, JD, PhD & Rosalinda Baer
(Through the Looking Glass, 2003) [21 pages]

This article was originally published in the Journal of the Center for Families, Children and the Courts. It examines the multilayered obstacles that parents with disabilities face in the family court system. Based on the experience of Through the Looking Glass and its National Resource Center for Parents with Disabilities, the article describes these statutory, judicial, professional and systemic barriers and provides examples of each. Four broad areas of improvement are proposed: better-articulated legal and professional standards, increased access to legal representation for parents with disabilities, disability training for legal and mental health professionals, and changes in current practice.