Introduction
Families with a child who has a disability have
special concerns and often need a great deal of information:
information about the disability of their child, about school
services, therapy, local policies, funding sources, transportation,
medical facilities, and much more. Many families find it very useful
to join a parent group, where they can meet other families with
similar needs. Parent groups can serve many purposes, but primarily
they offer parents a place and a means to share information, give
and receive emotional support, and work as a team to address common
concerns.
There are many different parent groups, and their
activities vary, depending on the group's focus and goals. Typical
activities might include: providing mutual support and new
friendships, distributing information and/or newsletters, creating a
family resource center, arranging for speakers on topics of
interest, and setting up babysitting coops or respite care
provision. Many parent groups also allow families the opportunity to
speak in a unified voice to express the needs and goals of a special
interest group not often well represented in the school and
community.
An important function of nearly all parent groups
is to introduce families to others like themselves, who can provide
much needed information and emotional support. When families with
similar concerns meet, there is a sense of community, of
understanding; you create a place where you can laugh about the same
things, where you can discuss the same problems, where you can help
each other. Where else can a parent find out which local dentists
are good with children who don't sit still, where to buy specialized
clothes, toys, or equipment, how to help a teenager find a summer or
after-school job, or how to fill out a social security
application?
This Parent's Guide will help you
identify the parent groups that exist nationally and in your state
and community. It will also help you decide which group or groups
would be useful to you in meeting your family's needs and concerns.
If no such group exists in your community, this Guide provides many
suggestions on how to start your own group. See A Parent's Guide:
Accessing Parent Groups [PDF, 256KB]
