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Parents of children with special needs may
find it helpful to meet with other parents of children with special needs.
When a parent of a child is told that there is a delay or disability, they
may feel alone, angry and stressed. This is natural, and you should not
ignore the feelings. Support Groups can be a way of sharing the experiences
and feeling that are new to your life.
Much of the information that will be helpful to you is in the hands, heads
and hearts of other parents with similar needs. Some support groups are
organized around one particular disability (e.g., cerebral palsy, Tourette
syndrome, Down syndrome), while other groups draw together parents, who,
irrespective of the disabilities of their children, have similar concerns,
such as day care, transportation, coping, or finding out about and
supporting special education in their community. Within each of these
groups, information, emotional and practical support, and common concerns
can be shared. The power of this mutual sharing to combat feelings of
isolation, confusion, and stress is a consistent thread running throughout
the literature written by and for parents.
Over 100 support groups are listed in the Parent to Parent of Georgia
Special Needs Database, an information and referral service for families
caring for children with special needs. For support group information, call
1-800-229-2038 or search the database online at
www.parenttoparentofga.org/database.htm.
Here are a few examples of the kinds of
support groups listed in our database:
www.chadd.org (click on support)
www.down-syndrome-atlanta.org/resources/parentgroups.htm
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There is an
energy in us which makes things happen when the paths of other persons touch
ours.
from the Monks of Weston Priory
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