Hampton Roads Special Education Parent Support Group

Welcome to Hampton Roads Special Education Parent Support Group!

Members of our group will enjoy:

1. Finding non-critical acceptance that is free from the emotions and opinions of close family or friends.

2. Being in an environment of hope that will give you strength.

3. Keeping a sense of humor about your life, your situation, and the world of special education.

4. Discovering that you can feel weak and helpless and not be abandoned or rejected for expressing those feelings.

5. Being in a room where your problems are put in perspective as you hear the problems of others.

6. Talking honestly about your feelings, your hopes, and your fears.

7. Practicing tolerance and gaining understanding for other parents who may feel bitter, angry or victimized.

8. Learning new solutions to your problems by helping solve problems for others.

9. Sharing resources and identifying the gaps in resources in your community.

10. Working together to influence existing programs by attending school board meeting and advocating for all children’s special educational needs.

What to Expect!

Confidentiality will be VERY important!!!

Parents will be asked to introduce themselves by sharing name of school your child attends, disability what they need support with.

“Parent Chat”: Any parent who needs to vent or share an experience with the group and get feedback about the situation can talk…Guest speaker will determine time slot.

Advocacy training: Based on groups need, a topic will be discussed and resources will be provided on that topic.

Closing:

“Support session”: Parents can ask the group if anyone can assist one on one to help with a specific need like write a letter, review IEP, attend meeting ect….

Parent Support Group Guidelines:

1. Privacy is respected: What goes on in a meeting stays in the room. Members must not be talked about in any identifiable way outside the group.

2. Everyone that wants to gets a chance to talk: facilitator will limit turns to about 10 minutes, unless someone has a crisis and needs to talk to get feedback or unless everyone is in crisis (then we can all talk at once!!)

3. Ask people if they want advice or a suggestion before you give it: Many people have a tendency to start thinking about "how to fix" a problem as soon as they hear it. Sometimes people just need to say how they feel and get it off their chest.

4. When a person is talking, there are to be no "side" conversations:

5. No feelings or experiences are too" crazy" and breaking down and crying should not make anyone feel foolish

6. Only parents of children with special needs will be present at group meetings unless the group decides to have someone else come to lead a discussion.