Every parent could use some support from time to time. There will be plenty of good days when life seems easy. There will also be some incredibly stressful bad days to deal with. Parents of kids who have special needs can benefit from attending a good support group. Start by seeing if a group mentioned in this blog can help you.
In San Jose, California, there is a support hotline for parents of kids who have special needs. This is an excellent resource for parents who have reached their breaking point and cannot leave the house to attend a support group. It is run by volunteers who are also parents of kids with special needs.
The Davidson College Presbyterian Church, which is located in Davidson, North Carolina, will hold a Special Needs Support Group for parents of special needs children (and also for other interested adults). It will take place on September 26, 2012. This is the first meeting of the school year.
The Island Parent Collaboration support group, which is located in San Juan County, Washington, has been having monthly meetings since May of 2012. This is a support group for parents of children who have special needs. The group is open to all different kinds of families, and isn’t about labeling your child. It is to support parents who are experiencing challenges and who don’t know why.
Parents for Parents is a statewide support group in New York. It is where families of individuals with special needs, and the professionals who serve them, can meet and share information. They offer support, information, referral, and trainings.
The Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), which is located in Franklin, Massachusetts, has a series of events lined up for the 2012 / 2013 school year. The group is a network of parents of children with disabilities. It provides a forum to share information and discuss matters of interest regarding their children. There are plenty of workshops that the group will hold between October of 2012 and June of 2013.
The PEER Group, which is located in Indian River County, Florida, is a support group for parents and families of children with special needs. The name stands for “Parents/Families Educating and Exchanging Resources”. It provides assistance for developmentally disabled people, and provides education and parent training, advocacy, and support.
These are just a few of the support groups for parents of children who have special needs that exist across the United States. Check your local newspaper to see if there is a group that meets near where you live.
Image by Jason Rogers on Flickr