Ritchie & Feakes 2013 FMCAfam 299

The case involved a child aged 7 years with autism spectrum disorder who required a special diet and routine.  The mother submitted that contact with the father must be supervised by a person with special needs training.  The mother wanted to approve supervisors.  The consultant reported that the child had coped well with recent contacts with the father.  The father submitted that the mother considered that only she was able to care for the child and that no-one else was good enough (parenting style protective).

The judge ordered that the child’s contact with the father be supervised until an updated family assessment was completed, and that the supervisor be approved by the ICL rather than by the mother.